Sinning by Omission (26th Sunday of Ordinary Time)

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Today’s reading continues last week’s reading from Amos on pursuing justice. Here, the prophet addresses those who are most responsible for injustice in the land–those who have wealth and power and do not use it for good but only for personal gain. They are morally corrupt, and turn a blind eye to the plight of the poor. Amos twice says “woe” to them, indicating that God’s wrath is going to fall upon them for their sins. The reading ends with a declaration that the Lord will chastise them by sending them into exile, which we know took place a few decades after Amos with the fall of Israel (2 Kings 17).

This message reinforces Jesus’ message in the Gospel reading (Luke 16:19-31), which also focuses on God’s punishment on those who neglect the needs of their neighbour. Note that the wealthy men in both Amos and in Luke are accused of a sin of omission–their crime is not that they actively oppressed the poor, but that they neglected them by doing nothing.

This is a reminder that we can sin by not doing the good that we are supposed to do. Scripture states that “whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” (James 4:17). We are reminded of this every time we recite the Confiteor: “I confess to almighty God . . . that I have greatly sinned, . . . in what I have done and in what I have failed to do.” (emphasis added)

Therefore, we who have the means should be active in charity. We should not ignore the plight of the less fortunate around us, but should seek out ways that we can benefit them. In that way, we can become salt and light to the earth, and thus receive God’s favour, and not His woe.

J. Luis Dizon