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? As I ask that question 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 are so valuable that even death cannot take away from us? 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 may be letting too many 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?

When I was in Ukraine I saw a standard of living that is not as good as what we have here in the US. We have bigger and better houses, cars, wardrobes, property, appliances and conveniences and bigger bank accounts than the vast majority of Ukrainians. Do you think, because of that, that we are happier, more content and live better lives than people in Ukraine? 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 only, or mostly 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 be lost unless he chose to lose it, I cannot say for him.

It is a very good thing, 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 probably very few will give a thought to Friday as the day our Lord was crucified for us. Let’s not be fooled or misled by those who only want us to fill our barns instead of filling our hearts and our souls.

During this virus time and the restrictions that we find in our lives due to rules that have been imposed on us, it can become even more tempting to find ourselves complaining. It can indeed be a good thing to vent sometimes, and to complain. But it is also a good thing to be careful how much we are complaining and how often, because it can set us up for a way of thinking that obscures or even blocks out an appreciation and awareness of all the blessings we have.

There is a young priest in Kyiv that I know, and a few years ago he took part in an exercise someone came up with, called “30 Days of Gratitude”. 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. Count your riches. 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. Let us think and thank about the wealth 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.

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.