Prosperity And The Godkind Of Life

Speaker: Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines

September 08, 2025

in Spritual Growth

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September 07, 2025:
Readings: Deuteronomy 30: 15-20
Philemon 1-20
Luke:14:25-33

13th Sunday of Ordinary Time 2025 Homily – Abp. Hines

Some people have the notion that Christianity is a life full of prosperity, that you will not encounter any problem at all in life. The truth however is that we have a responsibility to be what God really wants us to be. In Psalm 1, it tells us that we are blessed if we reject the counsel of the wicked. Many of us unfortunately, believe that the world will give us all the blessings – not realizing that it’s really just a deception. What we should rather do is to delight in the counsel of the Lord. Deuteronomy tells us that we are given a choice of Prosperity and Life or Death and Adversary. Sadly, in most cases, we choose the wrong side. We do not realize that this choice is only temporary. “Choose you this day whom you will serve.” Will it be life? Or will it be death. It takes commitment on our part to always choose the good part, although it may not be the easy way. The choice is ours. He gives us the chance to choose. If we want to really live, we must choose life.

Why do we see what we are seeing now happening in the world? We tend to blame culture, the environment and other things. God takes pleasure in our redemption. Therefore, we are to put Him first. We choose to worship God and follow Him. During the time of Philemon, who was a wealthy Christian who hosted a church in his home, slavery was very prevalent. It tells us that Onesimus, a slave working in his home, stole some money and escaped to Rome. But in Rome, he met the apostle Paul and became a believer of Christ. Paul knew that Onesimus was once a slave who had come from the house of Philemon, a close friend. After some time, Paul realized that Onesimus should return to Philemon and he wrote a letter to Philemon, asking him to receive Onesimus and forgive him and that he had changed and become a Christian. Here is a lesson that shows us that when a person is held in bondage by the enemy or is in “prison,” there can be restoration in love and forgiveness.

The necessity of what God wants us to be. We must count the cost. If there are hindrances, even if it is from our own families, who get in the way of our worshipping God, there should be a “setting aside” of priorities. God gives us prosperity and life. The world’s kind of prosperity does not put emphasis on a life with Christ. The kind of prosperity we receive from Christ is a life of peace. Our choice is to eat at the Table of the Lord and not the world. Our obedience is to God if we want true peace and security. Our faith should not be in things that are temporary. What Christ gives us is eternal. The peace, joy, strength that the world and all the money cannot give. The choice we make will determine what happens in our lives. When we walk with Christ, we will have prosperity and life.