Money Talks

Today is the 2nd Tuesday of the Easter season.  The readings for today are Acts 4:32-37 and John 3: 7-15.  Blow the dust off that bible and check 'em out.

In this account of Acts it talks about Barnabas the Apostle who sold a chunk of property and "laid the money at the feet of the Apostles".  Imagine how long that land had been in his family's care!  It said he was a Levite, so I'm guessing a long time.  Anyway, I digress.  My actual reaction was a memory from Easter day.  I had just left the table and sat on Grandma's couch.  My Uncle and brother-in-law were left at the table... God bless my brother-in-law.  Hahaha.  Anyway the typical thing happened.  My Uncle began to talk about what he thinks is wrong with the Catholic Church and how he himself is correct.  He expressed his frustration that the local parishes and dioceses appeal for money from the people when, as he claimed, the Vatican is loaded with money!  I don't know how close to fact his statements were, but I continued to listen from the couch as my guardian Angel held his hand over my mouth.

Today God threw me a bone here, with this reading.  Because of course one could think, do I need to sell what I have?  Am I supposed to feel guilty for having material wealth?  Or should I be upset like my Uncle?  God gently put it to me: WE don't give money because GOD needs it, we give money to the Church because WE need it.  My ATTACHMENT to the material good is what steps between God and I, not necessarily the goods themselves.  God doesn't need our money.  God doesn't need us.  In fact without God, WE ARE NOTHING.  So it should follow that ANYTHING WITHOUT GOD IS NOTHING.  To think that this money is OURS like my Uncle is not only a sin of greed but it's stupid.  We can be foolishly misguided if we do not recognize that EVERYTHING is from God, all these goods we possess...not ours but God's.

So here's an exercise from St. Francis de Sales: what do you think about if you are not thinking about God?  The same author of Acts wrote a gospel.  St. Luke quotes Jesus in 12:34:
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
Where is your treasure?  Where is your mind?  Do you thank God every day for 1) creating you and holding you into existence but 2) thank him for all these blessings?  I too forget to thank him.  I have a sense of entitlement.  Like I actually deserve these blessings.  But we don't, they are all given out of love and mercy.

So what?  What do we do about all this info?  Think of St. Luke's Gospel (16:13)
No servant can serve two masters.  He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other.
Pray for a spirit of detachment.  Ponder today what a gift God is giving you with each breath.  Ponder today all the blessings HE has given you; because it's not from your own merits.  Serve Christ, give back to him what is His. 

Mass Matters.
Peace Brothers.

PS I've been using St. Francis de Sales Introduction to a Devout Life as a morning meditation.  Get one, it'll knock your socks off!