Commentary on the Gospel – November 8, 2025

Let’s be honest: money is nothing more than a means, a tool that can be used to do many things—some good, some bad. With money invested in research, we can discover vaccines that save lives and improve people’s well-being. But with money, we also make tanks, landmines, and assault rifles used to kill.

Money by itself doesn’t bring happiness. In fact, sometimes it destroys friendships and families. Take for example how many families fall apart when it’s time to divide an inheritance. And there are countless other examples. Of course, money can also be used to share and to give life. With donations, many organizations bring hope to people who have lost everything. And we must admit: in our world, money is necessary to live.

But we should always keep in mind what Jesus tells us today: don’t make money your idol, because serving it is losing your life. I recently saw a movie in which the main character confessed that money—or rather, the love of money, greed—is like a virus that infects and destroys your life, or like an addiction, a drug that’s almost impossible to escape.

We, however, are called to something different. As Christians, we know our mission is to build the Kingdom, to create fraternity, and to work for justice—especially for the poor and the marginalized. For that purpose, money can be a useful tool, even a necessary one—but no more than that: just a tool. It should never separate us from our brothers and sisters. Instead, it should help us build relationships and cooperate in building the Kingdom.

But let’s stay alert! The temptation of money—the urge to hoard, to fill our own wallets—will always be there, both outside and inside the Church. The key is to remember that money must serve love, never replace it.