The "vanity" described in the first reading from Ecclesiastes (: Eccl. 1:2; 2:21-23) seems to be expressed very well in today’s gospel story doesn’t it?
Well, Jesus is definitely warning all of us about the deadly vice of avarice, which can take many forms. But no matter what the form, it always does one devastating thing to us: it isolates us from others, sometimes in very subtle ways.
A grasping or greedy person feels that he has to "protect" his wealth, and he thinks to himself that the best way to prevent its loss is simply to distrust everyone and acquire "more." His protected wealth could be monetary things or their equivalent. But it could also be a muddled desire for more power or control. In a nutshell, the deadly sin of avarice leads him to seek security only in "more" things of this world. Words like stingy and hoarding come to mind.
Our rich man in today's gospel story (Luke 12:13-21) thought his solution to well-being was an easy one: just build bigger buildings to store his wealth! Then he could enjoy that wealth for many years to come;- or so he thought. He
had neglected the most important thing in life: the spiritual health of his soul, and his eternal destiny depending upon his ordered or confused ideas about his love for possessions.
God calls him by his inner character, one that explains the condition of his heart: "fool"! That’s fitting in this story, because the man didn’t even once check on the condition of his spiritual barn. Instead, he was only interested in his worldly barns, and such selfish interests seem to guarantee a one-way trip to an unattractive eternal future.
KNOW YOUR CATECHISM!
In article 1014, 22, 23, 33, the Church encourages us to think about the hour of our death. Every action every thought, should be those of one who expects to die before the day is out. Death would have no great terrors for those with a quiet conscience. Then why not keep clear of sin instead of running away from death? The person who isn’t fit to face death today, will also be unlikely they will be tomorrow. Anytime we think of the so-called Seven Deadly Sins, we ought to deliberately think also of what all theologians call "the Four Last Things" –, death, judgment, heaven and hell.
Our rich man in today's gospel neglected that important reflection. All of life must be placed within the purpose for our creation: to know, love and serve God, and to be happy with him in heaven.
Well, Jesus is definitely warning all of us about the deadly vice of avarice, which can take many forms. But no matter what the form, it always does one devastating thing to us: it isolates us from others, sometimes in very subtle ways.
A grasping or greedy person feels that he has to "protect" his wealth, and he thinks to himself that the best way to prevent its loss is simply to distrust everyone and acquire "more." His protected wealth could be monetary things or their equivalent. But it could also be a muddled desire for more power or control. In a nutshell, the deadly sin of avarice leads him to seek security only in "more" things of this world. Words like stingy and hoarding come to mind.
Our rich man in today's gospel story (Luke 12:13-21) thought his solution to well-being was an easy one: just build bigger buildings to store his wealth! Then he could enjoy that wealth for many years to come;- or so he thought. He
had neglected the most important thing in life: the spiritual health of his soul, and his eternal destiny depending upon his ordered or confused ideas about his love for possessions.
God calls him by his inner character, one that explains the condition of his heart: "fool"! That’s fitting in this story, because the man didn’t even once check on the condition of his spiritual barn. Instead, he was only interested in his worldly barns, and such selfish interests seem to guarantee a one-way trip to an unattractive eternal future.
KNOW YOUR CATECHISM!
In article 1014, 22, 23, 33, the Church encourages us to think about the hour of our death. Every action every thought, should be those of one who expects to die before the day is out. Death would have no great terrors for those with a quiet conscience. Then why not keep clear of sin instead of running away from death? The person who isn’t fit to face death today, will also be unlikely they will be tomorrow. Anytime we think of the so-called Seven Deadly Sins, we ought to deliberately think also of what all theologians call "the Four Last Things" –, death, judgment, heaven and hell.
Our rich man in today's gospel neglected that important reflection. All of life must be placed within the purpose for our creation: to know, love and serve God, and to be happy with him in heaven.
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