We often hear that money is the root of all evil, but is it?
Lawrence of Arabia
In the 1962 film “Lawrence of Arabia,” British Lieutenant T.E. Lawrence is sent to Arabia to serve as a liaison between the Arabs and the British in their fight against the Turks. The Arabs are tribal and are just beginning to develop a sense of an Arab nation. Part of Lawrence’s challenge is to get chieftain Auda ibu Tayi to fight with the Arabs against the Turks even though the Turks pay Auda a great deal of money.
Lawrence wounds Auda’s pride by suggesting that Auda is a servant of the Turks for “It is the servant who takes money.”
Auda is incensed by this suggestion and responds with a list of feats meant to show his prowess as a great warrior. But he concludes by saying, “The Turks pay me a golden treasure yet I am poor, because I am a river to my people!”
The money is nothing to Auda, it all goes to his people. He provides for all their needs, like a river.
Like all the gifts that God gives, wealth, an excess of goods beyond what one needs, is given to some for the benefit of others. Wealth itself is not the problem. The problem is an attachment to wealth that prevents one from using God’s gifts as they are meant to be used.
The Root of All Evil
When Jesus tells His disciples “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God,” to whom is He referring? St. Luke tells us of several women who provided for Jesus and His ministry out of their means (Luke 8:3), so we know that He is not condemning people who had an abundance of material goods.
As illustrated in today’s Gospel it is an attachment to wealth that presents an obstacle to eternal life. This is the consistent teaching throughout scripture. It is love of money that is the root of all evil (1Timothy 6:10.) The Psalms tells us “Though wealth increase, do not set your heart upon it (Psalms 62:11.) And it is not enough to simply disdain riches. Jesus tells the young man to sell what he has but also then to go further and give to the poor, to give “for my sake and the sake of the Gospel.”
Dying Poor
Tom Monaghan built Domino’s Pizza into a billion dollar company. Along the way he acquired several of what he would later call rich man’s toys, including a professional baseball team, a collection of over 200 classic cars, and a private island retreat.
But after reading C.S.Lewis’ “Mere Christianity” he had a spiritual awakening. He took a “rich man’s vow of poverty,” sold the toys, and looked for ways to use his wealth for the good of others.
In addition to his charitable giving, Monaghan has also been the mover behind several spiritual efforts. He founded Legatus, an apostolate that encourages Catholic business leaders to apply their faith in all their business dealings and to use their business skills to further the missionary work of the Church.
Monaghan also provided the seed money for Ave Maria Radio and was instrumental in the growth of EWTN, the world’s largest religious broadcasting enterprise.
In the mid 1980s, Pope John Paul II expressed his desire to publish a catechism for the worldwide church. A commission of 12 bishops and cardinals was formed but it was such a large project that none of the responsible Vatican departments could find room in their budgets to further the pope’s vision.
That was the point at which Monaghan stepped in and offered to sponsor the necessary research, travel expenses, staffing, and equipment that were needed to complete the Catechism. Cardinal Christoph Schönborn credited the philanthropist by saying “without Tom, the Catechism might never have been published.”
Tom Monaghan recently signed a pledge to give at least half of his fortune away. He has stated that his intention is to “die poor.”
People may be wealthy without clinging to their goods. In their own way they may become a “river” to the poor and those in need. In a similar way, a poor person can be a miser with what little they have and refuse to help another in greater need. God can demand a great deal from us, sometimes He can demand everything.
We are not here for ourselves. We have not been endowed with all of our marvelous gifts and talents in order for us to please ourselves or selfishly acquire material goods. We are here for other people. Whether we are leaders in are community, businessmen, millionaires, or struggling artists, all that we are, all that makes us unique individuals, finds its proper outlet in how we serve others.
As we remain in the throes of a pandemic, let us consider how many people have been affected. Homelessness is on the rise, and many people are struggling financially to replace income lost from the societal response to Covid. While it is true that many industries are hiring, they are not necessarily the jobs that pay enough to allow people to continue to pay their rents, mortgages, and meet their other financial responsibilities.
Many people are going through tough times and we are made more and more aware of just how hard it is to trust in God and His salvific plan. Remember that He loves us and wants what is best for us. Can we accept His plan even if it is not the one we would have liked?
Pax Vobiscum
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time