What do I do with my wealth?

For many years I spent time working in a big department store: Topshop in Oxford Street.  I used to work in the exchange and refund department but every day we would be gathered for a meeting by the floor managers. In this meeting we were told how much money we had to make in the store that day. We were expected to sell and suggest things even if you knew that the person did not really want it.  In one such meeting we were told that we had to try making a million pounds in one weekend and so the shop opened one day at 9am and closed at 11pm. Basically the object of the exercise was to extract as much money from the public as possible. We made our million by Saturday evening. I was not selling most of the time but giving money back I was always amazed at people’s need for things.

Therefore I was never really surprised to see that we have a huge debt in this country and a world economic crisis. I don’t think that you can just blame this crisis on the banks although they have a part to play. It has also been down to our greed for credit and wanting the newest latest thing to keep up with the Jones.

The man in today’s gospel wanted to follow the Lord. He was asked to receive eternal life he must give up his wealth his status and sell everything and follow me: Something that some saints have followed and not questioned like St Francis of Assisi. The question can a rich man be saved was one that baffled the early Church and one that an early Christian writer St Clement of Alexandria struggled with  but what he says is quite useful. He argues that there is nothing wrong with having riches but it is what you do with them that matters. Do we build up riches for ourselves, our own gratification and our own sense of importance or to help the poor?

He also argues that there is a different kind of riches that we need to process and just like our physical riches need also to give generously.

For the riches that we have are received in faith and prayer for: “I prayed and understanding was given to me.” So prayer is a richness that we can share and experience for ourselves also the word of God which is alive and active in us: The teaching of the Church and its tradition all leads to the ultimate richness that is a personal relationship with the person of Jesus.

We can see this is a rather strange episode with Peter and Jesus at the end of the Gospel this weekend. He asks What about us? We have left everything and followed you.” Peter shows here our own insecurities and fears, for in the world’s eyes if we have nothing, if we have not kept up the Jones we are nothing. If we make that choice to follow Jesus what will we gain. Here Jesus reminds us that it is not worldly riches that matter but, heavenly riches. When the rich man returned to his possessions; if he had become a disciple he would have inherited a new family. This man without a name ended up poorer.

Home work for the week: What are our riches? What can we give to the community and the Church as with our gifts and talents? And then when we have discovered them use them for the Church and the parish community.