God’s blessings fall on all people. We know that from scripture. But for those who have humbled themselves. Those who have taken Jesus commandments to love God above all and others as themselves, more will be given.
Maybe not things or money or other riches that are of this world but certainly the riches of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control built on a relationship with God. All the fruits of the Holy Spirit
And no matter if you are rich or poor without the fruits of the Holy Spirit, love is directionless. Success is fleeting and unsatisfying in and of itself. It soon wanes and we find we need more things and more successes. Life has no objective beyond pleasure.
But if we open ourselves up to God and give ourselves over to him, align our will to his and each day seek him and invite him into our life, everything will make sense. Moments of stress, a normal reaction when we face loss, illness, death of a loved one or struggles does not have to own us. When we feel stressed we should pray. Prayer with an open heart, like the tax collector is heard by the Father. He will respond. Living close to God changes everything.
We may have plain clothes, but they will be all we need. We may have a simple life, and we will be joyful for it. And if we are rich, we will always be seeking ways to share it.
But having much in this life is the hardest way to follow Jesus.
For just like the rich man who asked what else he should do to be a disciple, we too must be ready to give up riches and all possessions. We may not be asked to actually give everything up and join a monastery but we will be asked to share it. We must be humble enough and present our thoughts and struggles to Christ each day. Each day live as a servant of Christ seeking to do his will. And his mission and will become our will. It is a difficult path to walk, and many cannot do it. Not with riches of the world. Not with fame. Not with position or huge successes in the world.
Wealth demands worship. Position and ranking require to be fed by the ego. Possessions block our love for others and create boundaries that are tough to see through. Like Lazarus and the rich man, they lived close to each other, yet the rich man was blind to him.
We are asked today to come to Mass with open hearts and have nothing binding us to anything but Jesus Christ. We come to the table of the Lord wanting to be fed by his words and his body. And in our poverty of spirit, we are satisfied with nothing else but Jesus Christ beside us, within us and leading us as a brother and friend.
We are called to live lives of humble detachment to this world and a hunger that demands everything from us so we can find communion with God in this life and an eternal home in heaven.
Deacon Tony Pynes 
Leave a comment