Homily for August 3, 2025

Today seems to be a chance to focus on the tension we feel around our possessions, our material wants and goals.  All those individual needs we have, so we can live well according to what we feel we need and what we would like to have for a comfortable life.   

The Gospel story brings up the familiar story of inheritance.  Not much has changed has it,  in human nature?  We probably all know stories of the problems that can flow from who gets what and those who are not included and all who make demands in families over inheritance.    Jesus says, it’s all about greed and that we should guard against it.

For us today, the question is about our level of success in our achievement of the American dream of material wealth, and getting ahead. Just living comfortably.   This of course, can be in conflict with our faith in Christ and the values He shares with us.  Our opening prayer named it so well, we want to be restored in every way to the living God AS our life.  And live only in the will of the Father and all that God means for us in Christ.

 So where is the balance here between these two values?  There’s always a real question of discernment as to what is appropriate for disciples of Jesus.  How do we live in the world and not be of the world as disciples? Pope John XXIII, said:   Ordinary good things are desirable only if they led us to salvation. We don’t love them, but we love all the people God has created and use goods to express this love.       

The scriptures detail for us today this struggle and focus on the nature of Vanity – “all is vanity’ is the familiar quote.  Just what is Vanity?   How do you understand that idea?  The dictionary says it’s – something that is not substantial or lasting, worthless of meaning or purpose.  

So then, what values and experiences shape a life of meaning, of hope and of lasting value.   What do you want to be remembered for, what do you want your legacy to be? 

You know the old sayings – You can’t take it with you.  Or the one that I like is the question:  What did he leave? The answer is everything. So what then is the focus, the true value of your life.

Of course, the focus is Christ.  He shapes our response to material wealth and the American dream.   It all has to be in the perspective of our Gospel values.   Compassion, generosity, love of neighbor which grows out of your love of God.  So these all come together with selfless love –  that shapes our own understanding  of God’s love for us and our specialness as God’s beloved.  We know the greatest commandment is “Love God with all your heart, all your mind and all your soul, and your neighbor as yourself.”   There’s the ultimate reality for disciples of Jesus.  Not that it’s easy, but there’s the goal we all are called to in our life.

We surely see the demands put on us in today’s world and all the horrific struggles so many people are dealing with today.  Poverty, hunger, displacement, injustice, war, civil strife that is wrecking long standing forms of community help and stability and ways to manage challenges.  It feels like everything is falling apart in societies all over the world.   

How do we as disciples respond to all of these challenges, with our vision of life and prosperity that comes from our personal call to be of Jesus.  Does our life make sense given who we are in Christ?      

 St. Paul’s letter is a wake-up call.  He writes:  Since you have been raised up with Christ seek what is above, not what is on earth, for you have died and your life in hidden with Christ in God.  So put to dead all those parts of you that are earthy, that greed that is idolatry. You are a new creation and be for others because Christ is all in all.  

There is our treasure – our new life that the Risen Christ offers us, that communion with our Trinity God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  We are empowered to live in this unity this blessedness.   In doing so we witness to all the true values of God’s kingdom and ultimately it changes the world  as it changes us.