Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel….Monday 23 October 2017
Perhaps greed is the greatest canker of the man of the XXIst century . Unfortunately most of the sins we sense as sins and our conscience is also uneasy if we fall into the sins of anger, hatred, sensuality or gluttony . The fact is that if one experiences the consequences of these sins , as well one will become ill or may even be locked up but we don’t feel the sin of avarice as bad, in fact many of the men of our days forged a “virtue” out of this sickly greediness. For the man of today buying the second, third house , car is not seen as a sin, but as being resourceful , clever, bright !No matter what our scientists are saying about global warming , the pilfering of our earth’ resources or about the exploitation of child labour in third world countries making consumer goods , it does not matter , because everybody is shopping, collecting , milling around in shopping centres , amassing material goods without restraint .
Lets lift up our gaze and learn from our Lord Jesus Christ , who says about Himself ""Foxes have dens, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” Matthew 8, 20 . For me it is good to hear the liberating thoughts of the gospel : 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them…….Mt 6,26..19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6, 19-21
God wants us to have our daily bread in abundance but our hearts to be free from all fleecing avarice that not only pulls us down, but also robs our lives , forces us into the position of a guard of a museum covered in cobweb , into the role of a cleaner !
Lets take off our chains , even if they would be made out of gold , and praying for the freedom of children of God lets say a definite “no” to greed!!
With love ,
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
Someone in the crowd said to Jesus,
"Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me."
He replied to him,
"Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?"
Then he said to the crowd,
"Take care to guard against all greed,
for though one may be rich,
one's life does not consist of possessions."
Then he told them a parable.
"There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest.
He asked himself, 'What shall I do,
for I do not have space to store my harvest?'
And he said, 'This is what I shall do:
I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones.
There I shall store all my grain and other goods
and I shall say to myself, "Now as for you,
you have so many good things stored up for many years,
rest, eat, drink, be merry!"'
But God said to him,
'You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you;
and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?'
Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself
but is not rich in what matters to God.”
Luke 12, 13-21
Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel….Monday 23 October 2017