I really appreciate the wealth of information I find in the booklet entitled, "Living With Christ." It is a monthly publication and besides the readings and prayers for every Mass of the month, it is rich in much interesting information. It provides a short bio for the saint of the day. Today, Monday August 8 and the Feast of St. Dominic, I read a bit of information about the saint. He was born in Spain and after ordination he became a cathedral canon; however that did not last long. Appreciating his many talents, they sent him to southern France to counter the heretical teachings of the Albigentians who held that all material things were bad. For many of them he was able to establish the fact that everything that God has created is good when used according to its purpose. I wondered why this heretical sect had come to this conclusion and the concept of extreme greed came to my mind. Like today, in those days those who had the power, royalty then, never had enough and they flaunted their materialistic way of life in their style of living. We all know how that brought about the French Revolution, the guillotine, etc.

     As I read the First Reading for next Sunday from Isaiah, "Observe what is right, do what is just, for my salvation is about to come; my justice about to be revealed," I thought it worthwhile to reflect on the questions, Do we as a society understand the concepts of "right and just"? Sometimes I feel that God can be very clear as he speaks to us in sacred scripture, which makes me wonder how come we humans just don't get it? We make the same mistakes over and over again. According to the most respected economists our country is on the verge of economic disaster. A good question is, How did we get here? For us who have been blessed with a long life we remember that we have been there before with the crash in 1929 and the ensuing horrible Depression.

     Then and now I can almost hear God saying, "People, listen to what I have said before, and I say it again: 'Observe what is right and do what is just.'" There were those throughout the '30s that listened to those words and got it right. From the brink of disaster they brought forth and maintained the best economy that our country had experienced, but it took real courage, leadership and sacrifice on the part of all. With God's help I am sure that we can do it again, but I feel that the words of the Opening Prayer give us some direction, "May the walls which prejudice raises between us crumble beneath the shadow of your outstretched arms."

     We live in dangerous times because at times we unwittingly decide that we want more even at the detriment of those who have less. We are living in a prevailing philosophy of 'us and them'; it seems that we all have to take sides on every issue and we want our side to win at any cost. It seems that it is time to realize that we are one human family, that when a segment of that family suffers needlessly, we all suffer. When we strive to meet the needs of all through common effort, then we all win. We will better understand the words of Isaiah, "Observe what is right and do what is just." I conclude with the words of the Responsorial Psalm, "May God have pity on us and bless us. May he let his face shine upon us. So may your way be known upon the earth."