After hearing today's Gospel, one might ask, is Jesus encouraging me to be dishonest or even cheat my boss? No, Jesus is exhorting us to take advantage of the present moment. Do not put off until tomorrow what we can do today. In other words, live today in a way that leads to eternal life.

Today we hear from the prophet Amos. He was originally from the Southern Kingdom of Judah - an animal herder and farmer. Yet God called him to travel to the Northern Kingdom of Israel and voice God's message. In Israel Amos saw the poor getting poorer. He denounced practices of injustice and mistreatment of the poor by the rich. It was not a popular message and he faced much opposition.

It would have been more convenient for Amos to stop being a prophet and simply go back home. He persisted because he placed fidelity to God as the priority of his life; Amos would not serve two masters. Today, Amos still stands as a model of advocacy and justice for those in need.

Times have changed since Amos and the 8th century BC. However, there are still situations of child labour, racial discrimination, and other circumstances where the rights of the poor are being trampled.