It is no secret that we live in a materialistic culture. For some people, the pursuit of wealth and possessions has become their religion. Many scripture passages including those we just heard have wise things to say about money and possessions, advising us that we shouldn’t make them into a god. Since life is fragile, these readings caution that we need to sort out what really matters before it is too late, mindful that our greatest need is God. The marquee outside a church once warned those passing by, “Don’t wait for the hearse to take you to church.” Many who are preoccupied with worldly pursuits find little time for God in their daily lives and will often ignore that advice. Someday a hearse may bring them to church one last time but as the late evangelist Billy Graham once said, “You will never see a hearse pulling a U-Haul trailer.” When a very wealthy man in town died, a local news reporter asked the rich man’s pastor, “How much did he leave?” The pastor replied, “He left it all!”In ancient Egypt, the pharaohs thought they could take it with them. King Tut had quite a hoard buried with him, which I viewed in Cairo years ago. Imagine God saying to you, “You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?” They certainly won’t belong to you once you take your last breath. Greed, one of the seven deadly sins, has always been a temptation for many people, blinding them from what really matters. In the past few decades two of the fastest growing industries in our country have been home security systems and self-storage units. What does that say about our culture? How might Jesus adapt this parable if he told his gospel parable to us today? Greed can take on the form of accumulating anything unnecessary, blinding us from appreciating what really matters in life. Jesus cautions “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” Because we tend to buy more than we need or can even use, clutter has taken over our lives, duping us into a sense of false security. Growing up as an army brat, I never lived in one place more than three years until I became a pastor. Now that I have been in one place so long, I have become like that rich man. I don’t have barns full of grains but I have other goods as a consequence of being a packrat. If clutter is taking over your life, if your many possessions possess you, you need a touch of “Kondo magic.” Marie Kondo is a Japanese expert in the science of — no kidding — tidying up. She has written four best-selling books, including The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Her name has become a verb among her millions of fans around the world: “I Kondo-ed everything” means you have purged your house and home of every non-essential thing cluttering up your life. Marie Kondo’s approach to keeping and disposing of possessions center on three principles: First, she advises that you pick up each item you own and ask yourself if that thing “sparks joy.” It takes time and thoughtfulness, but asking that question of every possession can be liberating. If done correctly, you find yourself living happier with less. Second, Ms. Kondo points out that the hardest things to get rid of are the things that make you feel guilty. An example: that expensive dress you bought five years ago and wore only once because it made you feel dumpy, or the ugly but expensive knickknack given to you by a close relative or friend. Let it go — to some charity or local thrift shop like Good Cheer that can see that it’s put to good use. And, third, Ms. Kondo writes, “If you’re having a hard time getting rid of something, thank the item for the role it has already played in your life.” For example, say, Thank you for giving me joy when I bought you or Thank you for teaching me what doesn’t suit me. Then you’re free to let it go. It may all sound ridiculous, but her charming insane tips can bring great peace of mind. You approach what you own as the means to joy and not joy in themselves; in new ways, you realize how blessed you have been in what you have. Marie Kondo’s quirky approach to de-cluttering, like the parable of the rich man’s barns, challenges us to look at all the “stuff” we possess and to realize the real valuables in our lives. Often something’s true worth has nothing to do with its monetary value or the momentary pleasure it gives us. Its value is in the memories it preserves, in the time it saves us for more important and joyful pursuits, in its enabling us to experience the selfless and affirming love of God in the good we are able to do for family and friends. Jesus calls us to take inventory of our lives and the things that “clutter” them and refocus our attention on the things of God: compassion, love, mercy, forgiveness, and consolation. Certainly we will likely have possessions as long as we live and we will leave them behind as well as the people we know and the wisdom we have accumulated, but notice that Jesus tells us throughout the Gospel of Luke of the dangers of wealth for our eternal life. The proper use of our goods, for ourselves and for others, indicates that we must have the right orientation, namely generosity towards others and toward God. It is only when we are rich toward God that we can say to our souls: “Relax, all is in order.”
St. Hubert Catholic Church
As Roman Catholics, centered in the Eucharist, our mission is to live Christ's Gospel message to love, teach, pray, and serve.