When It Comes to Money…

Despite some arguments, brothers and sisters generally love each other at least until their parents are alive. Once their parents are gone, siblings tend to focus on their own interests, their children, and their grandchildren. However, the real problems often arise when the inheritance is divided.

 Even the best of people can lose their minds when it comes to money. We even sometimes see families where one sibling owns no property at all, and another owns two or three houses and still claims their inheritance. 

Today’s Gospel speaks of a family dispute between siblings. Jesus doesn’t offer a simple solution to the dispute. Instead, he chooses to go to the root of the problem. “Take care to guard,” he tells everyone, “against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions .” Here, the cause of all evil is pointed out: greed and the desire to possess wealth. Disagreements over the division of family possessions always arise when the essential truth is forgotten: the goods of this world do not belong to us, but to God. Whoever hoards the world’s goods for themselves, whoever appropriates more than they should, without thinking of others, undermines God’s plans. The desire for material wealth becomes modern idols that humans worship. 

The inheritance that interests Jesus is another. As St. Peter says in his letter, it is an inheritance that does not corrupt, deteriorate, or pass away (1 Pet 1:4). 

In Jesus’ parable, there are only three characters: God, the rich man, and wealth. There is no mention of his family, wife, children, neighbors, or servants. Of course, they are all there, and he lives among all these people, but he does not see them. He has no time, thoughts, words, or feelings for such people. He is only interested in his wealth and seeks ways to increase it. In his mind, there is no room for anything else, much less for God. Consider his monologue: His entire discourse is about “I” and “mine”… only he and his possessions exist. 

Let us remember that Jesus never condemned wealth; he never asked anyone to give it up. The rich man in this parable is not condemned for his riches, but because he stored up riches for himself, but forgot God and his neighbor. That is the great difference. 

Let us ask God to give us the love and strength that St. Francis of Assisi had to understand and live this Sunday’s Gospel.

May the Lord always grant you his peace!

Fr. Lalo Jara, OFM, Pastor
Mission San Luis Rey Parish