Readings:
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Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 31:8-11 — “Blessed is the rich man that is found without blemish…”
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St. Matthew 6:24–33 — “Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God…”
On this feast of St. Cajetan, Confessor, Holy Mother Church sets before us the image of the man who, though possessing wealth, is found without stain—“who hath not gone after gold, nor put his trust in money nor in treasures.” And as a counterweight to this, the Gospel of today solemnly proclaims: “You cannot serve God and mammon.”
These two readings, taken together, present us with the radical detachment that characterized not only St. Cajetan, but all saints who lived by the words of Christ with unwavering fidelity.
I. The Rich Man Without Blemish?
Sirach 31:8-11 praises the rare and blessed man who, though wealthy, is not consumed by riches. It does not condemn possession outright, but rather extols a man who remains uncorrupted amid prosperity. The Church Fathers recognized this as an extraordinary grace.
St. John Chrysostom, commenting on wealth, said:
“It is not riches that are evil, but the passion for riches; not the goods themselves, but the servitude to them.”
(Hom. on 1 Tim. 6)
St. Ambrose, more bluntly, observed:
“He who gives to the poor lends to God, but he who keeps for himself will be consumed by his own fire.”
(De Nabuthe Jezraeus)
This “rich man without blemish” is a rarity because such detachment is rarely found among the affluent. The Church proposes him today as a type — not only of the just man of the Old Covenant, but as a prefiguration of the Christian soul who holds nothing back from God, even when surrounded by earthly means.
II. “You Cannot Serve God and Mammon”
The Lord’s words in St. Matthew’s Gospel strike directly at the root of all human anxiety: “Be not solicitous… your Father knoweth that you have need of all these things.” Christ gives no middle path — one must serve God or mammon. St. Cajetan lived this to the letter.
Born into nobility, St. Cajetan turned away from the high offices of Church and state to found the Theatines, a congregation dedicated to the renewal of clergy and the works of mercy. His own motto could well have been the Gospel itself: “Seek first the Kingdom.” He trusted Divine Providence to such an extent that the Theatines would accept no endowments or stable income, relying solely on alms.
St. Augustine, in a sermon on this Gospel passage, said:
“What is mammon? Mammon is gain. The Lord did not say, ‘You cannot have both,’ but ‘You cannot serve both.’ For he who serves gain makes it his god.”
(Sermon 113)
And St. Gregory the Great warns:
“When the heart is occupied by earthly desires, it becomes a stranger to heavenly things.”
(Moralium in Job, Bk. 9)
III. The Example of the Saints
It is fitting that today the Church also commemorates St. Donatus, bishop and martyr. Though his memory is liturgically limited to Lauds, he silently reinforces today’s message: riches and earthly power are not evil in themselves, but their use must always be in the service of God, not self.
St. Cajetan, by his heroic confidence in Divine Providence, shines as a living commentary on today’s Gospel. His is a vocation of poverty and spiritual generosity—a contrast to the rich young man in the Gospel who went away sad.
IV. A Reflection for Our Times
In a world intoxicated by materialism and anxious pursuit of comfort, today’s readings are both a consolation and a rebuke. They remind us that detachment, far from being a loss, is a freedom—the freedom to follow Christ wholly.
Let us then examine ourselves:
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Do we seek security more than sanctity?
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Do we trust God’s Providence as St. Cajetan did?
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Are we able to bless God in both plenty and want?
In the words of St. Leo the Great,
“He who lays up treasure in heaven looks forward without fear to the coming of the Judge.”
(Sermon 92)
Prayer (in the spirit of St. Cajetan):
O Lord, who didst adorn Thy Confessor Cajetan with an unwavering trust in Thy providence, grant us grace to seek first Thy Kingdom and to serve Thee with a heart undivided. May the riches of this world never ensnare us, but be used for Thy glory and the salvation of souls. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Recommended Devotional Practice Today:
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Pray the Litany of Confidence in Divine Providence (as found in traditional Theatine prayer books).
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Examine your relationship with material goods; consider offering alms today in honor of St. Cajetan.
Feast Day Blessing:
Through the intercession of St. Cajetan, may you grow in poverty of spirit and richness of faith.
And through the prayers of St. Donatus, may you remain steadfast in the trials of this life, as he was unto death.
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His justice, and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matt. 6:33)
Catechismus Catholicum — Reflecting Tradition, Guiding Souls.