Aug 3 Sun
Am I wise in the use of my assets?
Everyone wants to be rich, to have secure possession of every good thing.
Yet greed or covetousness is the vice in which one attempts to amass material goods, motivated by the false belief that this is what will secure paradise on earth.
The rich man in the parable held a myopic view of happiness. Still, anxiety of heart, and days of sorrow and grief were his occupation; even at night, his mind was not at rest.
Since nothing on earth is actually secure and all will be left behind at death, true wealth consists in being “rich in what matters to God.”
And what matters to God is summed up in the two great commands: to love God and neighbor.
How different it would be if the rich man had reasoned in himself, “Now that God has blessed me with so much, how can I thank him and do good for others?”
Wealth has a positive value. Through it, people can have access to the material and even spiritual goods of creation.
For example, children and young people can only devote the first twenty or even thirty years of their lives to being educated when there is sufficient surplus wealth that they are not required to work to earn their daily bread.
Material wealth gives one a chance to fulfill Christ’s command to give to the poor. The widow gave her mite; everyone can give tithes, and the wealthy can build shelters, hospitals, and schools.
Work is the source of a decent life or even riches, although neither is the basis of lasting happiness: That only God can give.
Wealth is to be put to work to benefit others and should not be hoarded.
The development of the earth to free human beings, especially the poorest, from all forms of misery, is a Gospel mandate.
Economic activity has a moral dimension that includes concern for shareholders, managers, workers, customers, the development of society in general, the common good, and the environment.
Thus, all of us must work to earn at least enough to live on and to be able to contribute, even if only in a small way, to the sustenance of apostolic enterprises.
Let us examine our economic activity.
Do we pray for all who find their work hard: Those without work, those with insufficient work, those whose work is very burdensome, those whose work is without adequate reward, those whose work is dehumanizing?
What is the objective of our work: To do a respectable job, to serve others, to provide something of value, and to offer up that effort to God?
Is everything under our control ethical?
Do we try to do something completely new: For example, to start a new enterprise to benefit one’s family, community, and the common good?
Let us examine our use and consumption of goods. Do we have a consumerist mentality in which the greatest objective is only to have many possessions?