Homily

The big barn builder in the parable in today’s Gospel was very rich. He died a wealthy man. But what about you? Are any of you sitting here today rich? Are any of you wealthy? I imagine there are a lot of mental protests going on right now: “No, no, not me. I’m not poor, but I’m certainly not rich.” But isn’t it interesting that, almost always, when the question or topic of riches and wealth comes up, we think of money and goods? Just like Barn-Building Bob in the Gospel. And yet what is it that truly makes us rich? What is the treasure we hold, the wealth we have gained, the fortune we possess, the prosperity we have acquired? What are the riches we own that even death cannot separate us from them? Is it not our life in Christ? Isn’t that our greatest wealth? But look how we are! When someone asks us if we are rich, we protest that we’re not because we are so deeply enmeshed with the material world that when the question of wealth comes up we automatically think of cash and goods, just like Barn-Building Bob.

“But,” you may protest, “when people ask about wealth that is what they are talking about: bank accounts, stocks and bonds, 401K plans, property and buildings.” And I answer that you are correct. That is most likely what they want to talk about. And yet when I want to talk about wealth does my life in Christ come up first? Probably not. I think that’s because we allow ourselves to become, and remain, too deeply stuck in the material world and so we too often are focused on the limited amount of stuff we can gain for ourselves while we allow the unlimited spiritual goods available to just pass us by. Yes, yes, we like what we can hold in our hands, but what is its value when our hands can no longer hold on to it?

Last week I mentioned that Ukraine is an economically poor country. We have bigger and better houses, cars, wardrobes, property, appliances and conveniences and bank accounts than the vast majority of Ukrainians. Do you think, because of that, that we are happier, more content and better people than they are? Don’t get me wrong—I am glad for the stuff that I have and the physical comfort I enjoy. But how sad for me if I think wealth, true wealth, can be found in such things. Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com, is worth about $100,000,000,000! He could build a lot of barns. And he has. He is a wealthy man, but I ask you is he a wealthy man? I agree he is wealthy in one way, but in genuine wealth that can never be taken away, or lost unless he chose to lose it, I cannot say for him.

It is a very good thing, my friends, to stop and think about wealth at this time of the year because very soon the tsunami of materialism will be unleashed by the forces of Big Business in order to sweep you off the beach of reality and submerge you in the sea of consumerism. If we are not careful, we can strengthen our allegiance to this passing world and neglect those riches which are without limit and survive beyond the grave. It seems that almost everybody wants you to go crazy over “Black Friday” but almost nobody gives a thought to Friday as the day our Lord was crucified for us. Let’s not be fooled by those who want us to fill our barns instead of filling our hearts and our souls.

If I asked you what was not good in your life, I’m sure you could come up with a fine list of troubles and problems that push against you. If I ask what are the good things in your life, I believe that list might take more thought and time to produce and it would probably be a shorter list. That’s how we are, but it’s not how we can be.

A young priest in Kyiv that I met in Chicago a few years ago was participating in an exercise someone came up with, called “30 Days of Gratitude” (or some similar title). Every day for 30 days on Facebook he listed one thing for which he was grateful to have in his life. It was a blessing to read these daily little messages of thanks, and they made me reflect on my own thankfulness—or lack of thankfulness. So, in the light of Thanksgiving Day and the truly Black Friday which follows it, I suggest at least Seven Days of Gratitude as a practice for this whole week. Every day to pick one substantial and truly great gift that is in my life, in your lives, and give thanks to God for it. Start here today at Liturgy and choose one thing, or person, or grace that is in your life and give true and heartfelt thanks to God for it. And let’s repeat this every day this week. Let us discover not our poverty but our wealth, a wealth that is genuine in value and that ties us to a treasure we can keep beyond the grave. The treasure that doesn’t require barns to hold it but only our openness and our desire to give it a firm and lasting storehouse in our souls. Because, my friends, even if all be stripped away and we sit like Job on a dung heap we could still be the richest of men, the richest of women.

Twice while I was in Ukraine, I was overcome with a deep feeling of gratitude to the Lord for all things I have been given and especially for His gift of divine life. I hope this week perhaps you can also have an experience like that, but our gratitude is not based on emotion, but rather on truth. So, let’s spend some time this week focusing on the truth of our wealth, and let us give thanks to God for all things.