Homily for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C Ecclesiastes 1:2, 2:21–23/Psalm 90/ Colossians 3:1–5, 9–11/Luke 12:13–21 Theme: Beware of covetousness Mark Twain once defined " Civilisation" as " a limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities". No wonder this age is relapsing into materialism and consumerism with little or no regard for human dignity. It is against this backdrop that the readings of today challenge us to reevaluate our attachment to the things of this world, to avoid greed and avarice (Gospel), to be realistic about the limitations of this life and passing nature of things (First Reading), and to realize that "your life is hidden now with Christ in God" (Second Reading). The readings bring home to us a point every Christian must continually renew and nourish in his soul: the awareness that we are pilgrims in this world and just "passing through" on our way to true life: eternal union with God in heaven. Keeping this perspective throughout our lives enables us to grasp the true value of created things and use them to help us reach our ultimate goal. In this sense, keeping fresh in our minds and hearts the "principle and foundation" of the spiritual life will enable us to avoid the danger of over-attachment to what is not God, or substituting creatures in the place that belongs to him. The Gospel of St. Luke has Jesus warning severely against the sort of desires that keep us chained to this limited and passing world – greed, avarice, selfishness, love of pleasure and comfort – and the lack of the virtues that should link us to our ultimate destiny: ignoring God and ignoring the needs of our neighbor in our self-obsession. Rabbis were expected to help settle legal matters and so as a Rabbi, the man wanted Jesus to arbitrate between him and his brother as far as the family inheritance was concerned. But Jesus refused to get involved. Why? Because he knew that no answer he gave would solve the real problem, which was covetousness in the hearts of the two brothers. The " You" in Luke 12:14 is plural. As long as both men were greedy, no settlement would be satisfactory. Their greatest need was to have their hearts changed. Like many people today, they wanted Jesus to serve them but not to save them. Covetousness is an unquenchable thirst for getting more and more of something we think we need in order to be truly satisfied. It may be a thirst for money or the things that money can buy, or even a thirst for position and power. Jesus made it clear that true life does not depend on an abundance of possessions. He did not deny that we have certain basic needs (Matt. 6:32; 1 Timothy 6:17). He only affirmed that we will not make life richer by acquiring more of these things. Jesus,therefore, told this parable to reveal the dangers that lurk in a covetous heart. Here we can see the permanent validity of St. Ignatius´ Principle and Foundation. Man is created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord and by this means to save his soul. All other things on the face of the earth were created to help him attain this goal. Therefore, he must use them insofar as they help him to attain his goal, and avoid them if they hinder him… This is the real wisdom of the ages that we must continually return to reflect upon. All the things we acquire and possess are just means to an end and it is all too easy to become attached to the means and forget the ultimate end of all things. Every Christian needs to examine himself regularly on whether inordinate attachments are beginning to crowd out the true goods in our life, that is, the things that most help us achieve our end in life. Jesus calls the man hoarding his harvest a "Fool", because that very night his life will be asked of him. And to whom will his wealth go? He cannot control it after he dies, and "you can´t take it with you". All we can take into eternal life is the good we have done for God and for others, and all the rest is like the mist that evaporates in the morning sun. A man once saved his money all his life, and as he was nearing death, he donated millions to a concert hall that he wanted to have named after him in order to preserve his memory and fame. Yet within a few years of his death another man did the same thing, and the first donor´s name was removed. All his work and wealth brought but a few years´ notoriety and fame, and then he was forgotten. The message from Ecclesiastes challenges us with a view of life on earth as essentially vanity and purposeless, since it seems no matter how wise or virtuous a man may be, there is no lasting profit to him. It reminds us that life is filled with anxiety and loss and we should not put all our hopes in this life. This useful corrective is complemented by the New Testament vision of eternal life which is not explicit in the book. St. Paul motivates the Colossians with the hopeful vision of the life of the new man in Christ, reborn in him and given new life which begins now on earth and is brought to completion in heaven. The earthly, immoral passions have no place in this new man in the image of Christ and must be put aside so that Christ may live fully in us. Furthermore, all people without distinction of race or creed are called to share in this new life he preaches. He offers the hopeful vision of a new kind of life Christians should be living, as if they already have one foot in heaven, while even now in this life. Do we spend time with God, or is all our time spent on our own pleasure and comfort? Are our lives God-centered, or centered on the self? Often we think we are good people because we don´t deliberately do anything to hurt others, and while that is good, it is not enough for one who has been redeemed by Christ and given new life in him. Can we say that God is the center of our lives? In sum, what does it mean to be "Rich" towards God"? It means to acknowledge gratefully that everything we have comes from God and then make an effort to use what He gives us for the good of others and for His glory. Wealth can be enjoyed and employed at the same time if our purpose is to Honour God. To be rich towards God means spiritual enrichment, not just personal enjoyment. How tragic when people are rich in this world but poor in the next. May the words of the Psalmist that "Lord make us know the shortness of outlives so that we may gain a wisdom of heart" resound in our heart today and forever.
Posted on: Sat, 03 Aug 2013 11:30:47 +0000
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