HOMILY FOR 18TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME AUGUST 4, 2019
Woe to the
family that does not anticipate retirement, make provisions for health care and
reduce its credit card debt. Practicality
entreats us to model ourselves on the squirrels. In summer and fall, they gather nuts for
sustenance in winter and spring. We,
too, must prepare prudently investing in annuities and 410Ks, or, if those are
not available to us, we try to go without some luxuries today so we may expand
our savings accounts for tomorrow. Forthright
foresightedness is a top priority for
all–or, at least for those among us who don’t have to live hand-to-mouth on a
weekly basis. Either way, we’re probably
befuddled by Jesus’ parable. No
precautions for the future? Are there not retirement scenarios we can dream
about? Goals for creative hobbies, lengthier
leisure time, Church and community involvement?
Hmmmm.
We mustn’t see
today’s Scripture readings as a threat to these very human concerns, but we must engage in conversation with the
Bible to assess our priorities among our passions, properties and possessions.
Jesus isn’t
against us having things—in fact, he’s not against us at all. He is the Savior who is FOR US, WITH US and
IN US. He invites us to celebrate life
as we allow Him to diminish our worries and anxieties. He does that, in part, by endowing us with faith,
intelligence and talents to make our way in this world including our
relationship with things. Jesus invites us to honor the gift of work to procure
for ourselves, our children and dependents the necessities of food, clothing
and shelter. Beyond that, the Holy
Spirit engages us in what we buy in the way these things reflect our
personalities, our likes and dislikes. What
we own—and how we take care of what we own– is an expression of ourselves and
even our beliefs. For all that, Jesus invites
us not to take our money, our belongings or ourselves too seriously.
He bestows on humanity intelligence and
the ability to cultivate a sense of humor.
Here are a few jokes that might put us at ease: Who was the
world’s first stockbroker? Noah.
Noah? Yes, he floated his stock while
the world was in liquidation.
Once
an investor asked his advisor: Is all my money truly gone?
No, of course not. It’s just with somebody else!
Dear Friend, I’ve
come to realize Money can buy a House…But not a Home; Money can buy a
Bed…………..But not a Good Night’s Sleep; Money can buy a
Clock…………But not Time; Money can buy you a Book….But not Knowledge; Money
can buy you Medicine…….But not Health; Money can buy you Sex…………But
not Love. So you see money isn’t
everything. It often causes pain and suffering. I tell you all this because I
am your Friend, and as your Friend I want to take away your pain and suffering.
Send all your money to me and let me suffer
for you.
The
cynicism of Qoheleth in the Book of Ecclesiastes offers helpful insights as
well. The things we treasure, what we work hard to have and appreciate, may not
be treasured or appreciated by those who inherit what we have, what we saved
for. Some people prioritize a comfortable home, others money for travel. Some value collections of books or recordings,
paintings, momentos, Nativity sets and Statues of the Saints –others prefer
large screen smart tv’s and sound systems, others gardening and landscaping. IF
the next generation doesn’t love what we love, what do we leave them? Do we owe them anything at all?
Jesus says
the key is to know that for all that we value, know what matters most to
God. Scriptures make it clear that God
cares about relationships –ours with God and others. Clearly God delights in every human being,
all animals and all creation because God sustains all with a life force that
engages all. As Saint Paul once said to
the Greeks at the Areopagus: “In God we live and move and have our being.” This
is the concept that grounds all faith and therefore must be the foundation of
all our lives’ choices: Thanksgiving for life itself and responding to God’s
graciousness by consciously reminding ourselves that our lives are not our own;
that ownership is always and forever will be temporary; that what we can or
cannot afford has nothing to do with our innate dignity or the place or state
of being that Christ offers us here and now and what Christ reserves for us in
heaven. Practically speaking, what we
think we own are God’s gifts to us to be shared– to learn from and to engage
with others.
Our pray
for today is for Prudence. The more
commercials and pop up adds on our computer bombard our psyches, the more we
need the Spirit of Wisdom. We must not throw caution to the winds but exercise
cool judgment. Our culture readily
cultivates jealousies and envies, manipulating us to equal or exceed our
neighbors’ buying power. It tempts us to assess ourselves and others on the quality of our
clothes, cars, homes or apartments. None
of these things last, but our relationships will.
An act of
love resounds unto eternity. Today we recognize that what we buy and recycle has
a much greater impact on others and future generations than we may like to
acknowledge. The Spirit of God and Jesus’
love will guide us if we attend to their Holy Spirt. Remember, our Eucharists direct us to
cultivate community, to care for ourselves and others without material excess
so that not only our futures but future generations can benefit from what we
own, what we accomplish, what we recycle, how we care for the air and water and
the animals with whom we share them, and , equally important, how we may inspire them to allow Jesus to expand
their lives with faith, hope and love. And
the greatest of these is love.
Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth,
vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!
Here is one who has labored with wisdom and knowledge and skill,
and yet to another who has not labored over it,
he must leave property.
This also is vanity and a great misfortune.
For what profit comes to man from all the toil and anxiety of heart
with which he has labored under the sun?
All his days sorrow and grief are his occupation;
even at night his mind is not at rest.
This also is vanity.
R. (1) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
You turn man back to dust,
saying, “Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
You make an end of them in their sleep;
the next morning they are like the changing grass,
Which at dawn springs up anew,
but by evening wilts and fades.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
And may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Brothers and sisters:
If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.
For you have died,
and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ your life appears,
then you too will appear with him in glory.
Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly:
immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire,
and the greed that is idolatry.
Stop lying to one another,
since you have taken off the old self with its practices
and have put on the new self,
which is being renewed, for knowledge,
in the image of its creator.
Here there is not Greek and Jew,
circumcision and uncircumcision,
barbarian, Scythian, slave, free;
but Christ is all and in all.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Someone in the crowd said to Jesus,
“Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.”
He replied to him,
“Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?”
Then he said to the crowd,
“Take care to guard against all greed,
for though one may be rich,
one’s life does not consist of possessions.”
Then he told them a parable.
“There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest.
He asked himself, ‘What shall I do,
for I do not have space to store my harvest?’
And he said, ‘This is what I shall do:
I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones.
There I shall store all my grain and other goods
and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you,
you have so many good things stored up for many years,
rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’
But God said to him,
‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you;
and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’
Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves
but are not rich in what matters to God.”
