Homily of September 18, 2022 (Lk 16, 1

Pastor Jean-Baptiste Lipp St. Francis Church, Lausanne
Federal fasting

Brothers and sisters,

Three readings. Three readings and a psalm that come to us from the lectionary of the Catholic Church for this September 18. And I marvel at the fact that these biblical texts finally fall so well for a Sunday of Federal Fasting. And I give thanks for this opportunity given to us to celebrate a Mass in a place of the Reformed Church imbued with Franciscan spirituality, and open to such ecumenical sharing on the occasion of its 750th anniversary… It is here, indeed, that a series of ecumenical celebrations has been proposed, and even dared, during the Lenten season.

So here we are again, this morning of the Federal Fast, in an ecumenical laboratory, open to the world, not only through a universal lectionary, but also through the airwaves. And it is rather good that we are together this morning, when we know that the institution of this fast, almost 200 years ago, comes from a time of great confessional tensions in our country. From Sonderbund to Kulturkampf, confessional peace has fortunately become like a “Swiss label”. Thank God. It remains to go further than to wish each other a good mass or a good worship… To celebrate in peace, but separately, how much longer? So, let’s take this opportunity.

Three readings and a psalm that fall really well for us this morning. The message of the prophet Amos resonates with all situations of exploitation, and even modern slavery. Today, and not only far away, but in our country “clean in order”, today there are men, women and children who are bought for a little money, “for a pair of sandals “. It is a scandal that still taints beautiful Switzerland. These people survive among us. They live below the poverty line. Everything that is happening pushes us to open our eyes and our minds, our hearts and our hands.

A God who lifts up the weak

Will we be able, with Caritas, the Protestant Social Centers, the Salvation Army and any charity work, to commit our words and actions even more? And do it in an even more coordinated way? Because finally, we base our faith and our action in this God that the Psalm sings of this day: “He sits up there. But he lowers his gaze to heaven and earth. From the dust he raises the weak, he lifts the poor from the ashes…” That’s wonderful. And the Magnificat of Mary is in the same vein, “from the same barrel”, announcing a new wine for a humiliated humanity. How can we believe in a God who raises the weak, without extending our weak hands to him, and opening them to others, weak like us?

Should we act or pray? Both my captain. Should we rely on the State and the authorities or rely on ourselves? Both my general. Thank you to the apostle for linking, in this epistle, for linking prayer for heads of state to the challenges of living together in peace. And to do so in these terms: “I would therefore that in every place men pray with the raising of their hands, holy, without anger or argument. » We are measuring anger in new ways. We see the dispute coming ominously. Anger and argument happen around us, including in our beautiful country.

This year – and this is a first that deserves to be said – this year, the message from the Vaud Council of State for Federal Fasting was written with the contribution of the Interreligious Platform of the Canton of Vaud, i.e. Christian, Jewish and Muslim religious authorities. If the apostle Paul is aiming for a humanity called to pray, because God wants everyone to be saved, we are, in 2022, a humanity made up of a few believers from other religious traditions. We have become aware of being a humanity called to raise our hands to heaven for everyone, and no longer each for his own confession.

Called to leave our communitarianisms

We are called to leave our communitarianisms to play a societal score. Invited to put the spiritual treasures of our religions at the service of society as a whole. Each of our religions lives from a faith in one God, and therefore knows that it is called to the service of one humanity. And this is shaking up our hegemonic models, whatever they may be. And that leads us to be accountable for our actions and our speeches, I would even say more, it leads us to be accountable for our actions and our speeches, in a form of interdependence.

Three readings and a psalm which therefore fall rather well for this Sunday of the Federal Fast. Except… Except the Gospel might spoil the message for us. It’s true, the Lucanian parable of the “clever manager” rings in our ears like an impossible word. Indefensible even: “The master praised this dishonest manager because he had acted with skill; indeed, the sons of this world are more skilful among themselves than the sons of light. Well, I tell you: Make friends with dishonest money, so that when it is no longer there, these friends will welcome you to eternal dwellings”.

What is Christ praising, telling this immoral story to his disciples? We can make up for it all by highlighting this concluding affirmation of the passage that no one can serve two masters, God or money… It’s immoral. We have tried, in exegesis, to justify the manager’s maneuver by considering that his calculations would have aimed only to reduce his own profit margin, or to give it up. The parable leaves a taste of fraud or forgery in the titles. This is confirmed by the vocabulary of the balance sheet made by the master of his steward: he is a dishonest manager. But skillful. He will not be rehabilitated. On the other hand, it will be cited as an example. Surprisingly.

Make no mistake about it. The master does not praise money. He praises a man who used it for his own life. Basically, the dismissed manager worked on his “outplacement”, as we say in the world of work. He took his future and his life into his own hands. Certainly, one cannot serve God and money. On the other hand, it is possible to use the money to live. To bounce back. For himself, for his family, and why not, for this society in which I will have a second chance…

So yes, I say it with this parable of Christ Jesus: money has no other value than that of highlighting the human being, his place and his relationships in the social body. Money has no other justification, in this low world, than to straighten out with each other, and not to set some against each other even more. And we, well, praise this master who has no other goal than the human dignity of each and every one.

Amen

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Bible readings: Amos 8, 4-7; Psalm 112; 1 Timothy 2, 1-8; Luke 16, 1-13

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Homily of September 18, 2022 (Lk 16, 1-13) – Swiss Catholic Portal