28 September 2025 #onewithJesus

Dear Brother Rick,

We are indeed living in heavy times. Our lack of compassion for the destitute and afflicted and our own self-righteousness have brought us where we are today, which is on our knees. Are we surprised? Is this not how the Lord garners our attention? The prophet Amos lived in such times as well… a prosperous country with a wealthy ruling elite whose justice system allowed them to get richer while the poor get poorer. A powerful elite who removed themselves from the working class by building beautiful and comfortable homes, eating well and drinking rich wine, and playing their sweet and soulful music… all to dull their senses to the cries of the poor. Soon they will all be sent in to exile by the Assyrians; their wealth taken, their food devoured by the enemy, and their music silenced. Are there not similarities here? Is our exile not upon us in the form of vitriolic rhetoric and senseless violence?

It seems to me that we Christians have failed to be holy men and women of God. Are we pursing a right-relationship with Jesus? Devoted to Him? Love all-in? Are we patient and gentle internally and externally? Do we profess our allegiance to Jesus Christ alone or do other gods (sports, money, politics) get an amen-on-the-sly? St. Paul calls us to task today in his letter to Timothy. I have to wonder if the Lord would look upon me and call me a holy woman of God… for I have failed in so many of the ways Paul and Amos preach about.

I think that in order to change the current culture, we have to change hearts. First our own and then others. What if you and I boycotted social media, silenced our phones, turned off the news and spent time getting to know our neighbors and then our neighborhoods and then our neighboring cities? And when I say “know” them, I mean to have compassion for their drama and trauma, and care enough for them to intercede to Our Lady and intervene in their lives?

I wonder… What if one of the rich man’s friends pointed out the needs of Lazarus? Would the parable end differently? I am hoping yes, for I do own some purple clothing, fine linen, and dine sumptuously. It’s pretty clear I channel my inner-rich-man. I’ve spent some time in Tanzania, you know. I’ve seen the way the poor live, day-in and day-out, joy-filled and generous with each other. I’m not there yet. But I should be. I know better. For unlike the rich man and his five brothers, Jesus has given me the warning through the readings today.

I know that we are called to this mission-for-the-poor in a variety of ways, unique to our charisms. You are great at fundraising, I’m good for one-on-one mentorship, our friends excel at gift-giving and building Habitat homes, and others are intercessors… it seems the list of ways to exile our inner-rich-man are as endless as the charisms we’ve been given.

Can we tune out the noise that isolates, reject the things that divide, ignore the opinions that fracture friendships… and just care about what Jesus cared about? Which is the poor on earth and the state of our souls. I think it’s time, for both our sakes.

Your Sister, Laura

#onewithJesus