Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The virtue of integrity usually means respect for the truth. But it’s hard these days to know if something is fake or is the real thing. We can encounter this doubt whether listening to the news, having a group conversation, or speaking with a stranger. Integrity becomes that inner compass that comes to our aid when we feel lost and need to find true north.
Integrity always involves other people. Words and actions matter. I’m reminded of the classic short story written by O. Henry, the pen name of a man who died in 1910. He wrote it as a Christmas story called “The Gift of the Magi.” Two lovers desperately wanted to secretly give the best gift they could afford to each other. Their riches were limited to the single most precious thing each of them possessed. The woman had beautiful long hair and the man had nothing but a gold watch. The story reaches its climax when the man sold his watch in order to buy a pearl comb for his beloved, while at the same time she went out and sold her hair in order to buy a gold chain for her beloved’s watch.
The comb and the gold chain in the story took on added value which could only be measured by the self-sacrifice that actually purified the truth of their love.
Therefore, the first and highest criterion for integrity in this story is to be found in genuine care and respect for the people involved in the situation. The second set of criteria deals with the way material goods are handled with genuine stewardship.
Did the steward who was under pressure in today’s Gospel act with integrity by possibly deciding to give up his own commission in the transactions and thus reduce each debt owed to his master by that amount? If so, his level of integrity doesn’t seem to reach the ideal level as found in the O. Henry story.
Which story of integrity is closer to our own experience? In all honesty, does not each of us have to admit our need for God’s infinite mercy in our struggle to attain full integrity of mind and heart? It would seem that the search for integrity beginning on the personal level would indeed have wide-reaching ramifications far beyond our imagination.
Reflection by Fr. Daniel Petsche, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections