Thus, will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God. – Lk 12:21
Friends, God is good, all the time.
In today's gospel, we meet Jesus overturning some misconceptions of the time about wealth. Aside from family inheritance, much of what made some people wealthy involved cultivating the habit of accumulating all they could for themselves, thinking that one's financial wealth was a measure of divine blessings. Imagine what this notion produced in such a society, a bunch of greedy, selfish individuals who deprived themselves of the experience of joyful sharing. Perhaps, we are all not far from being and acting like such people.
But the Lord's response to the request does not leave us in a vacuum. Instead, he gives a better path to wealth that produces peace and happiness because it is intertwined with the experience of joyful sharing. Jesus wants his disciples to build the attitudes of using earthly wealth, more or little, to enter heaven by balancing their personal use of their wealth with sharing with others. Understanding what Jesus is saying to us and learning how to deploy it in our own life is worthwhile. To that end, here are some things you can do daily.
First. Share your faith: The Bible describes Christians as being rich in faith. Sharing your faith with family and friends is a step in the path Jesus recommends to us.
Second. Pray for others. Praying for others, even people you don't know is the best way to experience joyful sharing. Jesus even asks us to pray for our enemies, which can become a significant way to share life's blessings with them.
Third. Show a happy attitude. People are looking to see smiling faces to get some comfort. With so much distress in the world, the people who can wear genuine smiles give others hope.
Fourth. Show personal interest in people. Jesus was rich and shared his riches with us by caring about us. Showing interest in people and caring for them is a way to become rich in what matters to God.
Five. Whether through donating to the church, charity, and individuals, or sharing ideas with family and friends, we should believe that wealth is something more than the accumulation of wealth for ourselves and a way to become rich in the eyes of God.
Prayer blessing: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.