In today's first reading, 1 Tim : 2c-11, St. Paul reminds us that "the love of money is the root of evil." Note that he says "the love of money," not money itself. How does the love of money become the root of all evil in the life of some people? Because in their desire for money some individuals "have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains." What pains? The pains of being unjust, promiscuous, corrupt, deceptive, narcissistic, hate-filled, envious, conceited, arrogant, divisive, contentious, to name a few of the traps Satan sets for men and women enslaved to money. Persons whose idol is money will do anything , it seems, to increase their bank account: engage in human trafficking, slave labor, the sale of illegal drugs; aborting or killing a child in the womb, cheating the poor of a just wage or not paying employees at all by declaring bankruptcy, engaging in unfair price setting and on and on and on! Yes, when money becomes an idol, sin abounds and eventually the money lover becomes a slave and slavery eventually becomes extremely painful!
St. Paul says to Timothy and to all men and women of God, to you and to me: "Avoid all this. Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of witnesses." You and I were called to be men and women of God when we were baptized and confirmed in the faith.
What are you, am I, pursuing: Righteousness? Devotion? Faith? Love? Patience? Gentleness? In what are we competing?
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