What do you think that Jesus was trying to tell his disciples (all of us, hopefully) in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30)?  One servant received five thousand silver pieces, invested it and made five thousand more.  The second servant received two thousand, invested it, and made two thousand more.  The third servant received one thousand and buried the money in a hole.  When the master returned, it was the third servant who lost everything.  The master gave it to the one with ten thousand.
     Each one of us has a different soul size.  Inequality does not spell injustice.  All of us are equal, but not everyone is given an equal share.  It's not wrong that some people have more than others.  Each person has different needs.  How much do you need to be alive and vital for God?  Maybe, just maybe, some souls need more than you or me.  And, that's ok.
     We have to take care of our soul/spirit.  I spend a lot of money on books to nourish my soul.  It's also important to have a home where I can be silent or listen to music.  Some of my priest collegues prefer to travel in order to nourish their souls.  Some like to get on their motorcycles and go out to the Dakotas.  What does your soul need?  When we pray, "Give us this day our daily bread," the bread you pray for may be different from the bread a friend prays for! 
     The Catholic Church is often accused of being too rich.  "Look at all those are treasures in the Vatican!" The world needs beauty--art and music.  It's good for the soul.  What is Michelangelo never painted the Sistine Chapel--something all of us can enjoy either by traveling or in pictures?  Some souls need to be surrounded by art and music.  A steady dose of country-western music would be good for my soul, while it might be good for the next guy.
     You cannot serve God and money.  But sometimes you can serve God better with money than without it!  If God has given our generation more than previous generations of believers, what will we do with these gifts from God?  What does your soul need to be alive in order to serve God and the poor?  The church, made up of rich and poor, should be a place of abundance.  The poor come to our doors almost everyday for some type of assistance.  Because you share your food and money, we are able to help those who need physical and spiritual help.  St. John's is a place of abundance.  I thank God that you are good trustee's of God's gifts to you.  The person who wins is not the one with the most toys, but the one who can bounce his/her last check.
     Ron Sider is a Christian ethicist.  He has figured that the total income of self-professed Christians around the world to be about ten trillion dollars.  According to his calculations, if this one group of Christians donated just one percent of their income for microloans, the condition of the world's poorest one billion people could be improved by 50 percent within one year.  If small loans can change the world, imagine if all disciples of Christ shared what they have from God.  We could change this world.
     It's a wonderful life.

     Fr. Bill