Homily For the 18th Sunday in the Ordinary Time. Year C. July 31, 2022.
Sunday Readings
“Keep a clear eye toward life’s end. Do not forget your purpose and destiny as God’s creature. What you are in His sight is what you are and nothing more. Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take nothing you have received, but only what you have given; a full heart enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice, and courage.” –St. Francis of Assisi
My Dearest Friends in Christ,
On this 18th Sunday, the word of God warns us of the destructive effect of greed. As the economy is becoming so bad, we need to watch ourselves, lest the desire for possessions or to maintain our standard of living lead us into greed.
Greediness destroys our humanity. Instead of creating a peaceful society where both poor and rich, weak and strong thrive, greedy people have turned society into the Hobbesian state of nature in which man is a wolf to his fellow man. The Darwinian survival of the fittest and elimination of the unfit becomes the norm.
By nature, human beings are selfish in one way or another. Greed is a manifestation of our selfish nature. We need the grace of God to change. A story was told about a landowner who hears about land grants on the frontier. This man owns vast tracts of land as well as a considerable fortune, but he is far from satisfied with what he has. At the frontier, he is told that the size of the land grant will depend on how far he can cover by foot in a day. The rule states that he must start walking at sunrise. What he covers will be his. However, if he does not reach the starting point at sunset then he forfeits the chance to get a land grant. The landowner starts walking at the break of dawn and continues until the sun is about to set. In an attempt to reach his starting point before the sun completely disappears on the horizon, he runs. But before he can reach it, he drops dead from sheer exhaustion. This is how greed destroys people.
In the Gospel of today, someone in the crowd asked Jesus to tell his brother to share the inheritance with him. But Jesus turned down the man’s request. After this, Jesus warns His disciples about greed and told the parable of the rich fool. The feuding brothers are destroying their fraternal relationship because of material possessions. Greed has made them blind to the things of the spirit. To be very honest, if many who are dead, had perceived the disintegration and strife in their families due to the wealth they left behind, they would have preferred to give it away to the poor before they died. The problem of inheritance and entitlement has crushed and torn many families apart. Instead of seeking the things of heaven, as St. Paul in our second reading advised us, these brothers were preoccupied with earthly possessions. On this Sunday, throughout the world, there will be a variety of reactions to today’s Gospel reading.
The first group will be those to whom this reading shall come as a shock, for believe that all that counts in their lives is the accumulation of assets, such as houses, properties, financial investments, cars, cottages,boats, jewelry and endless other possessions .
The second group will be those who will be deeply touched. They will perceive a calling. Consequently, they will give out their possessions and will likely join a religious order so they can accumulate spiritual riches.
A third group will be those who after the celebration of this Holy Mass, will likely go home and start working on their last will or trust. They will attempt to determine how their wealth should be distributed. Then they will hope that after their death their wishes will be carried out, with no one challenging their last will or trust in a court of law. It is good to know that the greatest treasure you will bequeath your family after death is not an inheritance of material wealth because it does not unite them. A household where brotherly love, respect, and fear of God reigns is the greatest treasure you can bequeath your family. No matter how much you leave behind if these godly values are lacking, you shouldn’t count yourself as having done well. Begin today to work toward enduring values and worry less about your trust or will.
The last group will be those who will simply be indifferent. The Word of God will enter one ear and go out through the other one. These represent the brothers who failed to understand the spiritual wisdom of God in the readings.
Considering all these different reactions, it is obvious that possessions, although they are transient, have a strange influence on the human mind. Don’t be blinded by your wealth because it is all vanity as the first reading of today reminds us.
Ancient writers called greed an inordinate desire to pile up wealth and possessions and ignore the realm of the spiritual. Greed is also identified by other names such as covetousness and avarice. Many world religions say greed is the stuff from which the other deadly sins are made. It is the mother of all sins. This is because it leads to a host of other sins like cheating, lying, perjury, and violence. It leads to the betrayal of friends, hard-heartedness, indifference to the plight of the poor and needy, and blindness to the reality of an afterlife. The law of karma, furthermore, says that greed is one of the primary causes of suffering in the world. Avoiding greed, therefore, is one of Hinduism’s yamas, the restraints that Hindus observe in following Hindu dharma.
In Judaism, there is no direct admonition about being greedy, though the Torah includes many prohibitions against obtaining money wrongfully. Money, as long as it helps one secure a living and aids others less fortunate, is a good thing. The desire for money becomes problematic when one is greedy for things are not needed nor that are not one’s own.
The Ten Commandments include, not one but two prohibitions against covetousness, often interpreted by Christians as greed. Jesus is famous for living in poverty and warning against having or wanting too much money. The Gospel states, “ Then He said; Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed. A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15)
The Catholic Catechism states, “ The tenth commandment forbids avarice arising from a passion for riches and their attendant power”. Detachment from riches is necessary for entering the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are the poor in spirit.’”Greed distorts the way we look at others. Other people are seen merely as a means of improving the life of a greedy person. A greedy person treats his fellow men and women as things rather than as persons. He or she loves money and not people. Greed has disastrous effects on society. Many wars have been driven by greed. Greed also hurts the greedy person. His excessive concern about acquiring money leaves him with little time to be concerned about growing in the love of God and service to one’s neighbor.
My dearest, seek the things of heaven and not of the earth. We shall all die someday and leave this world, so let’s not fool ourselves as did the rich fool in the Gospel. There is no security with material wealth because we have seen wealthy people die helplessly amidst their wealth. You may know one or two who died because of greed; so don’t add to the number. Your life is more precious than material possessions. Self-contentment and detachment will help us to remain focused on God. If you are wealthy don’t fail to share with the poor to store up treasures for yourself in Heaven. Work diligently and earn a just reward. God knows how to take care of other problems. “Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received only what you have given, a full heart enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage, “. –St Francis of Assisi
If you think possession defines happiness and fulfillment watch this video
We pray that the Holy Spirit will direct our lives so that we don’t abandon God in search of wealth and that we may be content with what we have received from God.
I keep you and your family always in my prayers. ©Clem C. Aladi (2024)
