The Social Function of Wealth!

Sunday, August 3, 2025

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Eccl 1:2, 2:21-23; Col 3:1-5, 9-11; Lk 12:13-21

The eighteenth Sunday in ordinary time reminds us of the social function of wealth and invites us to embrace a life of fraternal charity. 

The readings of the day highlight that only a heart free of greed can concentrate on things of the Lord. 

The first reading from Ecclesiastes exposes the truth regarding the shortness of human life. By comparing human life to ‘vapor’ or ‘breath’ through the word ‘vanity,’ the text calls for a philosophical reflection on the meaning of life. When the preacher laments the futility of human toil, the explanation comes as a shocker to those who are absorbed with the pursuits of the world as if our existence is marked by undisturbed permanence. There will be a day in which all of us will leave behind everything that we value and cherish today. However, the purpose of the text is not to intimidate us with the negative realities of human life and its impermanence. Instead, the preacher reminds us that the remedy for such existential despair lies in looking beyond worldly pursuits. The reading helps us realize that true spirituality is to operate from our identity as God’s people to work for the betterment of humanity. Loving God is to serve God’s creation in love and charity and find our meaning through the effort. 

The second reading contains Paul’s exhortation regarding the believing community’s new identity in Christ. Hence, in Paul’s view, a transformed life is expected of those who belong to Christ, especially by supplying the list of vices that the believers must diligently avoid. To this end, Paul urges his readers to put off the old self and put on the new so that such identity transformation would help them shun the needless distinctions based on ethnicity, status, or culture. In sum, Paul mandates ethical renewal on the part of Christians so that it aligns with the image of the creator God. In the final verse, Paul underlines the fact that the ‘new self’ does not just refer to the individual identity but envisions a corporate dimension that calls for abolishing the human-made divisions, leading to the formation of a renewed body in which ‘Christ is all, and in all.’

Today’s Gospel presents a stunning story in the form of the Parable of the Rich Fool. Our reflection should begin with the analysis of his person. 

Was the rich man really a fool? I think not. He is a planner who thinks ahead. He is a visionary who envisions the future. He is a hard worker who could harvest a higher yield in abundance. He is a good financial administrator who thinks of saving for the future. Hence, in worldly terms, the man, who is all rolled into one, is not a fool. 

But then why does Jesus refer to him so? The rich man makes a fool of himself on two counts. 1. The rich man was incapable of seeing beyond himself (use of ‘I’ – 6 times; use of ‘My’ – 4 times; use of ‘You’ self-referentially – twice). The use of subject pronouns that refer to his own self dominates the text. The rich man was clearly obsessed with himself. Secondly, the rich man was incapable of seeing beyond this world. The soliloquy highlights his conviction that only the material or the observable is real and imperishable for him. As a result, he is unable to open his eyes to the reality of the needy humanity around him. His unhealthy obsession with himself and total indifference toward the needy others around him kindle the wrath of God against him. He is not expected to do charity from what he should withhold for himself but from what he considered as excess to save which he was planning to enlarge his barns. This is estimated as his foolishness in the Gospel. 

This is why, exposing the destructive power of avarice, St. John Chrysostom compared those possessed by the evil passion of ruthless greed to Gerasene demoniacs in Luke 8: 26-39. He also held that ‘The avaricious person was a slave of money, a Christian who worships Mammon, not Christ.’ St. Cyprian of Carthage also interprets greed and avarice as forms of slavery. Addressing the rapacious rich, he wrote, ‘The deep and profound darkness of avarice has blinded your carnal heart. You are the captive and slave of your money; you are tied by the chains and bonds of avarice, and you whom Christ has already freed are bound anew.’

Apart from the views of the Church Fathers, we understand that greed distorts our vision. In driving classes, it is taught that if we drive at 25 mph, we will have 100-degree visibility. However, as the speed increases, the visibility decreases: 45 mph – 75-degree visibility; 65 mph – 40-degree visibility; 85 mph – 25-degree visibility. In much the same way, greed can blind us to the reality around us. There can be no second opinion that our unhealthy attachment to material wealth takes us away from God and needy humanity. 

The week’s readings strongly remind us of our moral obligation toward our neighbors. They also help us realize that in helping the needy, we help ourselves with God’s blessings. Yes, while our greed can ignore the Christ in the poor, charity improves our vision to find our Lord in them. 

We derive some important lessons from the readings. 

Shortness of Life: The reminder about the shortness of human life is not meant to be a threat. Instead, it can be a blessing in disguise if it can lead us to opt for intentional living, by which we make meaning through everything we do. 

Heavenly Identity: The Christian identity should be heavenly in character. As such, the transformed life must be countercultural in a way that reflects the mind and heart of Christ. 

Universal Destination: A core principle of Catholic Social Teaching is the universal or common destination of material goods. The principle holds that the world’s resources and the fruits of human labor are intended for the benefit of all humanity, not just a select few. Wealth is God’s gift, which must be shared with the needy and the poor. 

Let us pray that we may have a heart that is free from greed so that it is focused on the things of the Lord. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar