Fr. John Ryan
THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
JULY 1st
Last weekend, during the Saturday lunch time news programme on radio
one there was a discussion centring on the future of our country. The
initial question posed was 'Are we building an economy here or a society?'
posed in the context of the recent general election results it was focusing
on the fact that the predicted call for change didn't take place. Some
political commentators figure that the reason why the smaller parties
lost out was a sense of fear in the electorate - fear of change because
of the uncertainty attached to it and the possibility that the economic
conditions we have been enjoying for so long now would come to an end.
If that is the reason then it is a pity - fear is not a good reason
to spurn change. It should rest on other criteria.
Is there a fear of losing what we have economically? Is it a case that
when it comes to major decisions now we tend to weigh up the economic
side before anything else or indeed is it just the economic cost which
comes into play? When we talk about quality of life do we reduce the
necessary conditions to monetary points? Is quality of life about "things',
about what we have - or should we be looking beyond what we have and
see quality of life as about who we are and how we express that 'who-ness'?
There is a danger in placing economic conditions as primary or sole
arbiter of choice. Undue weight is given to monetary concerns and the
deeper motivations of the human person end up being sacrificed on the
altar of finance. In the second reading today St. Paul gives us some
advice connected to such a situation. Acknowledging the great yearning
we have for liberty and indeed the importance of liberty as central
to Christian life, he warns of the dangers inherent to living lives
of liberty. He says: 'you were called, as you know, to liberty; but
be careful, or this liberty will provide an opening for self-indulgence.'
Embracing liberty is, in itself, a good thing. Paul warns us though
that we can fall in to the trap of seeing our own personal liberty,
or individual needs, as being the only important thing and we can end
up alienating ourselves from the greater picture.
Being relational, social beings there is a draw towards the social aspect,
the communitarian dimension of living. An over-emphasis on liberty can
draw us away from the communitarian dimension causing us to forget the
common good and the values we need to hold on to in order to ensure
the common good. True liberty will work to ensure that all people have
the opportunity to be free. Jesus Christ came into the world to set
ALL people free - not just the few, not just the economically blessed.
His liberty is one of the spirit, enabling us be the people we are gifted
to be. Thus the correct way to live a liberated life, in the spirit
of Jesus, is as Paul points out: 'Serve one another, rather, in works
of love, since the whole of the Law is summarised in a single command:
Love your neighbour as yourself .'
In proclaiming this along with Paul we answer the initial question -
we need to build a society, not an economy. We need to build up community
as something essential to having a true quality of life.