GOD IS NOT AGAINST anyone having money, but sometimes people seek to find safety in wealth when true safety can be found only in Him.
Priest in charge of Our Lady of Sorrows Roman Catholic Church in St Peter, Reverend Gregory Marczuk, made this declaration as he addressed congregants at morning mass at St Dominic’s Roman Catholic Church in Maxwell, Christ Church, over the weekend.
He said while some people felt secure with having insurance and other forms of monetary securities, their lives could still be “very much complicated”.
Marczuk centred his sermon around Luke Chapter 16, which spoke, among other things, of three servants who were held accountable for the monies placed in their care and Jesus’ advice to use wealth to make friends with the world.
He said that Jesus was not suggesting that money be used to make people love us, but noted that the poor needed money as well.
“God can give us everything we need; not always what we desire or what we want,” the Polish priest said.
He said that some people who were monetarily secure often failed to pay careful attention to feeding their spiritual lives and having the presence of God.
“Jesus never said anything bad against rich people having money, not even when He spoke to the rich young man in the Gospel [about his worldly possessions]. He spoke to him in love.
“We can use money for good purposes, especially to help the poor, but Jesus wants us to have a closer relationship with Him so He becomes our safety and provides for our needs. There is no safety in money,” Marczuk said.
“What we should do is ask our Father to open our minds to the bounty of His truth and understand the real faith of true Christian bounty. Money must be used for our service to people and not as a priority about our own needs.”
The minister prayed for those who defrauded others and used money unwisely, urging the congregation not to judge people by their riches.
Prayers were also offered up on behalf of children, schools, for peace and for people who would enter the priesthood to take hold of the mantle being left by veteran priests.
The morning mass was filled with various other prayers and songs of worship before and after the Eucharist was served.
Moments were also spent in silent reflection during the 7 a.m. mass, after which congregants took time to greet, chat and spend moments conversing with the visiting priest, before winding their way either home or off to work.
• To have your sermons featured in Altar Call, please email [email protected].
