Week 24 Friday (Year 1)

Readings: 1 Timothy 6.2c-12; Psalm 48; Luke 8.1-3

It is an interesting juxtaposition of readings today. The first reading contains the famous line 'the desire for money is the root of all evils'. It is the desire to have, to possess, to control, to be autonomous and independent. Instead Paul recommends an alternative currency which immediately seems much richer: desire justice, he says, piety and faith, charity, patience and gentleness. These are not about possession, control and autonomy but rather about a shared life, an inter-dependence that is acknowledged, a collaboration rather than control, through virtues such as patience and gentleness.

In the gospel reading we see Jesus preaching the good news of the kingdom of God and we are then given a glimpse of life in that kingdom. Men and women gather around Jesus. There are the twelve men called to be apostles (and we will learn about their weaknesses and problems as we go along). There are also some women who have been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses. Mary Magdalen, Johanna and Susanna are named but we are told there are also many others.

The juxtaposition of readings is interesting in this, that we are told it is those women who support Jesus from their own resources. It anticipates the portrait of the early Christian community which we find later, in Luke's second volume, Acts of the Apostles. It also recognises that nobody can live without money, resources, material goods, except that here these are shared across the community. And it is interesting that the oversight of these is assigned to the women rather than to the men (almost as if they are the 'deacons', the men the preachers of the Word). Perhaps it is simply that the men would be more susceptible, as we see in the case of Judas, to the love of money.

'Live simply' is the message of the first reading. Once you have enough, you have enough. The community of Jesus's disciples begins to take shape then in the gospel reading, is there in embryonic form: a shared life and mission, men and women, being healed and brought into communion, serving spiritual and material needs, gathered round their Lord. Already we see the lifestyle Paul recommends: justice and piety, faith and charity, patience and gentleness. If it is a fight - life is a struggle, inevitably - then it is a good fight, not of persons against persons, but the fight of the faith, a fight to the birth of a new life and a new society.