10 October 2012 Wealth chokes the soul “Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Master, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me’. But he said to him, ‘Friend, who has appointed me judge over you?’ And he told them, ‘Take care! Beware of all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in abundance of possessions.’” (cf Lk 12:13-5) By declining to enter into the personal question between the two brothers, Jesus teaches us: 1. Not to interfere in our neighbor’s temporal affairs, but to concentrate on his spiritual needs. 2. To make all such disputes beneficial by showing riches are nothing, their inability to make life either long or happy and the certainty of losing them when death approaches. Happy are we if we can impress these truths upon the minds of men who are ignorant or careless of them. What a service we shall render them, especially if we can turn their thoughts to heavenly treasures! To illustrate these truths, Jesus spoke this parable. “The land of a certain rich man brought forth a rich harvest. ‘What shall I do?’ he asked himself. ‘I have no place to store my crops. I know! I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grains and goods. Then I will say to myself, You have blessings in reserve for years to come. Relax! Eat heartily, drink well. Enjoy yourself.’” “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So it is with the man who grows rich for himself but is not rich in the sight of God.” (cf Lk 12:16-20) What a picture this is of the fate, not only of the rich who are covetous, but of the rich in general! Truly miserable. Their life is passed in calculations, schemes, anxieties by day and night. ‘What shall I do? Shall I close with this, decide upon that?’ Unease follows. If plans miscarry, bitter regret, sleepless nights, perhaps despair. The rich know no rest, seldom enjoyment. As their wealth increases, the more do their cares. When they prepare to rest and enjoy it, death comes. We would think less of riches if we reflected on those who have been eternally ruined, not by wealth, but by the disorders they cause: turning our hearts and thoughts away from God and heaven; choke our piety, make us neglect religious duties. Unawares, avarice, injustice, hardness of heart, and impenitence set in. Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp632-4 Riches, Property, Work Our Lord teaches: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 5:3) “For what does it profit a man, if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his own soul?” (Mt 16:26) “... Sell your possessions and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, a treasure in heaven where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Lk 12:33-4) Too many goods can distract us from our efforts to save our soul. At the hour of death, God may say to us: “Fool! This night your life is demanded of you.” (Lk 12:20) “Therefore, do not be anxious, saying ‘what shall we eat?’ or ‘what shall we drink?’ or ‘what shall we wear?’ ... For your Father knows you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be given you besides.” (Mt 6:31-3) This does not mean that we do not have to work and strive to earn the things we need for our life. On the contrary, work is a duty imposed by God. “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.” (Gen 2:15) After man’s sin, God told him: “In the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread.” (Gen 3:19) So, “the earth the Lord has given to the sons of men” (Ps 113:16) and God placed all the things of this world at the service of man, to satisfy his earthly needs, so he may serve God properly, and thus prepare himself for life eternal. Each one has a right to possess things through honest work and to keep as his own the portion of the world’s goods that he needs. This right of private property is of natural law and has its origin in God’s plan. No one can be unjustly deprived of it; although to seek a life of Christian perfection, some may of their own will, renounce it, as by professing religious poverty. “Private property or some form of ownership of external goods assures a person a highly necessary sphere for exercise of his personal and family autonomy, and ought to be considered as an extension of human freedom. ... “The lawfulness of private ownership is not opposed to various forms of public ownership. But the transfer of goods from private to public ownership may be undertaken only by competent authority, in accordance with the demands and within the limits of the common good; and it must be accompanied by adequate compensation. “Furthermore, the State has the duty to prevent anyone from abusing his private property to the detriment of the common good. Whenever the social aspect is forgotten, ownership can often become the source of greed and serious disorders, so that its opponents easily find pretext for calling the right itself into question.” (“Second Vatican Council”, 6:69, 71) Ref: Jesus Maria Cavanna, CM, “Basic Christian Doctrine”, pp250-51 Meditations on the Litany of Loreto ‘Virgin most venerable’ -- St Anselm says, ‘when we say that Mary is the Mother of God, we speak of dignity which is above every other dignity that can be named or thought of, after that of God’; therefore, ‘O Lady, nothing equals thee; for all is either above thee, and this is God alone, or beneath thee, and this is all that is not God’. Mary is, then, indeed worthy of our veneration, since God himself could not have made her greater than he did when he made her his Mother. O Mother of God, my Mother Mary, I venerate thee, and would wish thee to be venerated by all hearts, as the exalted Lady that thou art. Pity a poor sinner who loves thee, and trusts in thee. ‘Virgin most venerable, pray for us.’ Ref: “The Glories of Mary”. In “Documentation Service”, V:321 • Our Lady of the Cloister, at Besançon. The image of Our Lady, placed in the Cloister of “La Madeleine”, was preserved from a fire, in the year 1642, lthough the niche where it stood was reduced to ashes. — Triple Couronne, n. 58. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com) • Our Lady of the Cloister. Besançon; Citeaux, France. 1624. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html); (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html); (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html) • Our Lady of Mercy. (Italy, 1492). (www/mariedenazareth.com)