Sunday, September 21 • 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Hear this, you who trample upon the needy and destroy the poor of the land!—Amos 8:4
Amos doesn’t mince words. As one of the most vocal prophets on God’s justice, Amos sets his rhetorical sights on the injustice that ran rampant in his corner of the world. Biblical prophets are visionary in the sense that they see the life of the people from God’s perspective and understand the consequences of the people’s actions. The function of a prophet is to convey to the people God’s desire for them by two kinds of persuasion: criticizing and energizing. They criticize the people for departing from God and God’s covenant by their worshipping other gods, reliance on the works of their own hands, and in their treatment of one another. We see this last criticism clearly in Amos’ words as the rich exploit the poor by raising prices (Amos 8:4-7) and the prosperous do not care about the desperation of the poor (Amos 6:1-7). Such contempt for God’s covenant will bring devastation upon all the people. From God’s perspective, we are all in this together.
Look at the world today and you see that things haven’t changed very much. The social teachings of the Church still remain one of its best kept secrets, despite efforts by many lay Catholics who understand that it is the laity’s apostolate to take these teachings to the world by our actions and our lives. Vatican II’s Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People prophetically states, “Wherever women and men are to be found who are in want of food and drink, of clothing, housing, medicine, work, education, the means necessary for leading a truly human life, wherever there are men and women suffering from misfortune or illness, men and women suffering exile or imprisonment, Christian charity should search them out, comfort and care for them and give them the assistance that will relieve their needs. This obligation is especially binding on the more affluent individuals and nations” (8). This document affirms that “among the tasks of this [lay] apostolate Christian social action is preeminent” (7).
The prophets are not all accusatory as they are also called to energize people, to make it possible for them to imagine a different present and a different future. This is true in the writings of Amos and true in the Vatican II document. All we laity must do is carry out our part, “knowing that in the Lord our labor cannot be lost” (1 Cor 15:58).
Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director
Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries
Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral Raleigh, NC