Social Justice in Scripture: Amos, Paul, and the Gospel Message
Readings and Virtual Homily for September 28, 2025, Twenty-sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time; On Retreat With O'Dowd; Parish festival; October Schedule
Readings for Mass this Sunday:
Amos 6:1, 4-7
Psalm 146:7-10
1Timothy 6:11-16
Luke 16:19-31
Dear Friends and Family,
I was on a three-day retreat with the high school the second half of the week; it is Saturday morning as I am getting this out. I will try to give a complete homily but maybe keep it a bit on the short side, as I want to send this ASAP.
First off, the Mass schedule for next month. It is pretty skimpy because I was planning to be in Europe October 8-23. Deep-sixed that plan a couple weeks back: The sabbatical is about work, not travel, and I have too much work I want to get done. But when Father Jesus (pastor here) was doing the schedule in late August, he was going on my instructions to leave me free the entire middle of October. So, not too many weekend Masses coming up.
The readings this week are unmistakably a call to social justice, to works of charity, and to detachment from worldly things and desires. The first reading, from the Prophet Amos, picks up from where he left us last week, continuing his warnings against the idle, complacent and uncaring rich of Israel:
"Woe to those who are complacent in Zion, secure on the Mount of Samaria...those who lie on beds of ivory and eat lambs taken from the flock...who improvise to the music of the harp...who drink wine from bowls and anoint themselves with the best oils, but are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph..." (vss. 4-7)
The "collapse of Joseph," that is, the collapse of the faithfulness of the Jewish people in Israel, the northern kingdom (Judah was the southern kingdom; Amos lived during the time of the divided monarchy) has been described by Amos earlier. He now warns the people of the north (whose capital was Samaria) of the coming invasion of the Assyrians, which happened in 722 BC. One result of the invasion was the deportation into the interior of the empire of most of the Jews living in the north. If you have heard the phrase "the lost ten tribes of Israel," this is where it originates.
Another result of the Assyrian invasion was that, to replace the deported Jews, the Assyrians relocated many people from other parts of the empire to Israel, whose capital, again, was Samaria. These western Asian newcomers intermarried with the remaining Jews in the north, creating a hybrid ethnicity and a hybrid religion, part Jewish and part Mesopotamain: the Samaritans.
The passage from Psalm 146 serves as both a reminder and a rebuke to the people of Israel, a reminder that God takes special concern for "the oppressed...the prisoners...the blind...those who are bowed down...the resident alien...the orphan and the widow" (vss. 7-9). This passage serves as a rebuke to those who "lounge" to use Amos' word, on their couches, eating lamb and drinking wine and composing music for the harp while the hungry go unfed.
The passage from the second reading actually dovetails perfectly with the social justice concerns of today's readings -- IF we read the several verses immediately before it. "...we brought nothing into the world," Paul writes, "just as we shall not be able to take anything out of it" (vs. 7, not among the verses in today's passage). "If we have food and clothing," Paul continues, "we shall be content with that" (vs. 8).
Paul goes on to warn of the destructive temptations that come, when we set our hearts on material gain, and the famous phrase "the love of money is the root of all evils" is the tenth verse.
The passage for today's readings begins with the admonition, "But you, man of God, avoid all this. Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience and gentleness" (vs, 11) and continues with a description of the goal of all such righteousness: "Jesus Christ...the King of kings and Lord of lords...who dwells in unapproachable light" (vss. 14-16).
Finally, the passage from Luke is that of the rich man and Lazarus -- not the brother of Martha and Mary, but another Lazarus, a poor beggar who lies in great need at the gate of the wealthy man's estate, but whom the rich man ignores. They both die and Lazarus goes to "the bosom of Abraham" where he receives consolation and the fulfillment he could not find on earth (vs. 22) and the rich man goes to a place of flames and torment (vs. 23).
It may be argued (I have heard it argued both ways) that the rich man is in Purgatory, rather than Hell, as he retains a love for and concern about his brothers still on earth. He is anxious that they not come to this place of torment (vss. 27-28). In Hell, no one gives a damn (so to speak) about anyone else, even their siblings still on earth.
Regardless of where we want to say the rich man is, the point of the parable is to attend to those less fortunate, rather than "lounge on our couches" eating lamb and drinking wine and amusing ourselves with music and other forms of entertainment.
Where we go, with the advice in today's readings -- attending to the needs of the less fortunate -- is an individual decision. I generally recommend looking for a cause (or causes) that motivates you; that makes you feel energized, fortunate to be able to contribute to, and then -- give joyfully of your time, talent and/or treasure. For as Paul assures us, "God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7).
Well, so much for keeping it short...
As mentioned at the start, I have been at San Damiano Retreat Center in Danville Wednesday through Friday this week, on a Kairos Retreat with 55 members of the class of 2027. Any Kairos Retreat is going to be powerful, but this one has special resonance for the way it took me out of sabbatical mode and right back into my life as chaplain at the high school. It was wonderful to re-immerse myself with the life of the high school, to be with my colleagues and the students.
Though the sabbatical's extended summer here at St. Clement has deeply reminded me of just how much I remain, at heart, a parish priest, the retreat served to underscore my conviction that the high school is God's will for me for the foreseeable future. It can still blow me away, the effect I have, without even realizing it, on teens. At the end of the morning, Friday, as my small group was packing up our meeting room, done with the small group sessions, two of the boys spontaneously hugged me. One of the girls said that she regretted not yet having me as a teacher, but that being in the Kairos small group with me was clearly the next best thing. Another of the girls told me her deepest ambition was to become a best selling author, and she really resonated with my own story as a writer. You get the idea. It was pretty awesome; Kairos always is.
Finally, and on the subject or the simple joys of parish priesthood, this weekend is our annual festival here at St. Clement. I got in from Kairos late yesterday afternoon to see the booths and tents going up. As I am wrapping this homily up at eleven AM, the music is just starting and the first few dozen (of what will be many hundreds) of parishioners are streaming in, making their way among the flauta, lumpia, Hawaiian bbq, funnel cake and so on booths; the kids lining up to take chances at the game booths and so on. Grateful for the near-perfect weather this weekend. Our festival has been one of my favorite parish events from my first fall here at St. Clement, ten autumns ago.
Gonna get this out! Have a great start to the fall!
God bless.
Fr. Brawn
Mass schedule for October:
Saturday, September 27
5 PM (English)
Sunday, September 28
1115 AM (English)
Sunday, October 5
630 PM (English
Sunday, October 12
11 AM (English; Catholic Community of Pleasanton, Seton Campus)
Saturday, November 1
5 PM (English)
Sunday, November 2
11 AM (English; Catholic Community of Pleasanton; Seton Campus)
630 PM (English -- St. Clement, just in case you are wondering!))
Daily Masses (all 8 AM and all English):
Wed. Oct. 1
Fri. Oct. 3
Fri. Oct. 10
Sat. Oct. 11
Mon. Oct. 13
Wed. Oct. 15
Sat. Oct. 16
Mon, Oct. 20
Fri. Oct. 24
Sat. Oct. 25
Mon. Oct. 27
Fri. Oct. 31;
Sat. Nov. 1