Health and Wealth or the Cross?
There is a particularly attractive message preached on television on Sundays, and it is probably preached in some Christian communities near you. The writer of the book, Prayer of Jabez (Multnomah Books, 2000), is also a proponent of this message. And the message is this: “If you believe in God and if you trust in Him, He will shower down upon you abundant material blessings. . . God will pamper good Christians and they will never have to suffer.” This message is called the “Health and Wealth Gospel” or the “Prosperity Gospel.” It is not completely new, either. John Calvin, one of the original Protestant “reformers” in the 16th Century, taught that “the Elect” (i.e., true Christians predestined by God) can be distinguished from others by their riches as signs of God’s favor. Our response as Catholic Christians is simply a question: Is the “Health and Wealth Gospel” Biblical? Is it the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ?
In the gospel passage of this Sunday (Mt 16:21-27), St. Peter tries to stop Jesus from going to His Passion — from being crucified and killed for our sins. And what is our Lord’s response? “Get behind me, Satan!” (Mt 16:23). This is shocking! Jesus had just called Him the rock upon which He was to build His Church, and now He is calling Him Satan. And why? Because Simon Peter is not thinking as God does, but as men do. Jesus goes on to teach: NOT that if you follow Him you will be rewarded with material blessings; NOT that you will be guaranteed good health; NOT even that you will “assured” of your salvation; but Christ teaches, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Mt 16:24). So, what does this mean for us as? First, we must deny ourselves. We must abstain absolutely from sin, especially mortal sin. This means, for example, taking seriously purity, holding our tongue lest we speak filthy things, and avoiding excessive eating and drinking. St. Paul teaches in the second reading (Rom 12:1-2) that we must not conform ourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of our minds. Second, we must joyfully take up our crosses. Just because we are faithful Catholics does not mean we will not have crosses. On the contrary, it means that we must embrace them when they come our way — and when we unite them to the Cross of the Lord through prayer — they are the means of our purification and sanctification. Yet this is hard. (As a priest, it so much easier to preach to my parishioners about taking up their crosses rather than actually taking up the crosses the Lord sends me in my life.) Thirdly, we must follow the Lord — to healing, to teaching, to works of mercy, to Calvary. Where do we find the strength to overcome our selfishness and sinfulness? Where can we find the power to take up our crosses? Mass, Confession and Adoration are the ways the saints show us. The Mass is Calvary made present in the here and now, and yet at the holy altar, we encounter the Lord Jesus to be refreshed, strengthened, and enabled to take up our crosses and follow Him. At the holy altar, St. Paul teaches we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, [our] spiritual worship (Rom 12:1). During the Mass, there are many opportunities to think about your crosses and ask the Lord for help in carrying them. Let us avoid willful distractions, boredom, and desire for entertainment; and let us ask for the Lord’s grace to follow Him wherever He leads us.
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