‘WOE TO THE COMPLACENT IN ZION!’
Being a mother to nearly five GenZ children, I’ve had to learn a lot of terminology in order to understand ordinary conversations in my household. When my teenage son announced that the new watch his brother-in-law gave him for his birthday was “sick,” I knew immediately that it was a really great watch.
Similarly, just as the Eskimos have many words that describe snow, I have also noticed that GenZ has many words for relaxing: “chilling, catching a vibe, and low-key” to name just a few. It's interesting to ponder why this generation is so interested in relaxing. Rather than assume that they are lazy, I tend to think it has more to do with escaping stress and an increasing discomfort with silence. Escaping has become a national obsession, and not just for young people.
But this perhaps explains why the first line of our first reading today is so jarring: “Woe to the complacent in Zion!” The prophet Amos goes on to describe what the complacent person does, and the description is unsettling in its familiarity. They relax on their couches with good foods and music. What could be wrong with that? The answer comes when we learn later that “they are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph,” or in other words, they are unmoved by the suffering of their people or by the downfall of their nation. St. Augustine comments on this passage in his Exposition of the Psalms when he says, “Truly, if we are children of God, the misery of our brothers should wound us more deeply than any personal loss, for in them Christ himself is afflicted.”
Again in today’s famous Gospel on the rich man and Lazarus, nowhere in this Gospel do we see the rich man outwardly harming Lazarus. We hear of no interaction between them at all. The rich man is only busy indulging himself. We are left to conclude that the rich man is condemned to hell for his sin of omission; he simply does not notice the suffering of Lazarus. (Note to self: we are not excused for not noticing.)
Nearly two weeks ago, we witnessed the assassination of the young conservative apologist, Charlie Kirk. Kirk sought out young people on college campuses, rallying growing numbers not only to patriotism, but to turn their lives over to Christ. Kirk was many things, but he was never complacent. His short life was given over to the mission he believed God gave him. His popularity with young people, especially young men, was amazing to witness because he called them to make something meaningful of their lives through hard work and hard-fought virtue. He specifically called men to avoid a life given over to “the flesh” which makes them weak and ineffective. I believe he spoke to a deep hunger in our young people to shake off the numbing trap of meaningless leisure and distraction as a primary pastime.
Kirk would have approved of this quote from St. Alphonsus Liguori:
“The soul that gives itself to sloth, seeks only apparent rest, which is a temptation of the devil. True rest is found in God alone, through prayer, meditation, and the fulfillment of one duties.”
~The Practice of the Love of Jesus Christ, Chapter 27
Today’s readings are challenging for sure, but they call each of us to a more meaningful life where we avoid overindulging in numbing pastimes and instead actively seek to serve God by noticing those around us who are lonely or suffering. May God give us the grace we need to fight complacency and to love and serve Him!
~Elizabeth Brown, Marriage Formation Coordinator