Jesus tells a parable about rulers who exploit people, workers especially. The rulers exploit them for the “small matter” of “mammon,” which means gaining “dishonest wealth.” Jesus cautions disciples to not serve “mammon,” for you will exploit people. Disciples are called to serve people and be about “great matters.”
When we serve mammon, meaning riches or gains we serve the “small matters” of rulers. We are dissuaded from “great matters.” When we serve people, we serve the “great matter” of social communion and we convert rulers. Social communion means we take caring action for people and their common good. It is unfortunately the case that rulers of institutional christianity to not always join us in doing so. Too many church rulers are belittled into the small matter of serving “mammon,” gaining dishonest wealth. It is of special concern presently in Central America and in Nicaragua particularly. For far too long, Catholic Church rulers participated in the “small matter” of gaining riches along side the murderous Somoza family (1936 to 1979) and exploited the Nicaraguan people. The 1979 Sandinista rebellion succeeded in securing some measure of freedom from a combined Catholic and U.S. capitalist exploitation. But it also began to secure Soviet backed Marxist exploitation. Catholic rulers opposed the new rule and ruler, Daniel Ortega, but they also opposed the “great matter” of human rights being secured for some of the people. As the new rule and ruler also violated human rights, they too were eventually removed from political matters. Ortega later returned as a collaborator with capitalism and as a supplicant to Catholic Church rulers enabling exploitation by rulers to increase. Together, they once again pursued the “small matter” of ruler wealth and exploited the people. That rule and exploitation has recently been split though over Ortega’s increasing tyranny. Since 2018 Ortega-led militants have attacked over 190 church sites and harassed church goers. They expelled the Vatican’s apostolic nuncio and Mother Teresa’s religious order. They are attacking, harassing, and seizing private universities, and are controlling academic hiring, budgets, and curriculum thereby restricting freedom of thought and expression. They are persecuting members of the media as well as members of numerous social organizations shutting down over 700 of them. The rulers are securing Russian military weaponry for Nicaraguan soldiers, arresting and incarcerating political dissidents, and suppressing peaceful protests, violently, killing over 300 people in one particular protest. The month following that protest, the mothers of those murdered engaged in the great matter of a peaceful march. Soldiers opened fire on the unarmed women killing 83 of them. In the face of rulers, their soldiers, and their exploitation, the people will not be dissuaded. They are fulfilling their call to engage in “great matters.” Our prayers are with the Nicaraguan people as they lead the Way in “great matters” of communion, conscience, the common good, equality in land ownership, health care, moral courage, and all manner of human rights.
“Tropical nights in Central America, with moonlit lagoons and volcanoes and lights from presidential palaces, barracks and sad curfew warnings. “Often while smoking a cigarette I’ve decided that a man should die,” says (the commander) smoking a cigarette in his pink-wedding-cake palace… Outside, the people were dispersed with phosphorous bombs… and (the commanders) arrive for new exploitations… They corrupt the prose and they corrupt the Congress… And the farmers are put in jail… and the strikers are cowed with bullets. And the Nicaraguan congressmen are invited to a garden party.” (Zero Hour – Ernesto Cardenal)
Prayer: Beautiful Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to the great matter of social communion.
Question: How am I fulfilling my call to be engaged in the great matter of communion?
September 18, 2022 Gospel Luke 16: 1-13 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time