Greed is one of the seven deadly sins along with Lust, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride. Greed is a sin directly against one’s neighbor, for a greedy person only thinks only of himself without regard to his neighbor’s need and welfare. Recall the story about the Rich man and the poor man Lazarus in the Bible, (Lk. 16:19-31). Greed is lust for money and power among others. It is the excessive pursuit of wealth, longing for more possessions and positions without a point of satiety. The Book of Ecclesiastes 5:10 says; “Whoever loves money has never enough: whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.” And St. Paul said, “let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself had said;” I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Heb. 13:5).
Jesus cautions us against greed saying; “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, life does not consist of possessions. (Lk. 12: 15). Human nature sometimes succumbs to the strong temptation of greed and selfishness especially when there’s an opportunity to enrich oneself, or when one is in dire need. Let us remember that earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed. Lending money to friends or relatives can ruin relationships. If you have the money, give as a gift.
“Grab all, lose all”, this dictum gives caveat against greed of all forms. There was story of a man who built his house through evil means like bribery, extortion, drugs and abuse of power. He was known to be greedy, corrupt, proud and mean to his neighbors. One evening on his way home from work, he saw at a distance, black smokes, smoldering fire and fire trucks ahead only to find out that it was his house burning. Nothing was saved. The Bible says; “Put no trust in extortion, set no vain hope for robbery, if riches increase, set not your heart on them. ( Psalm 62:10).
Being in the priestly ministry for many years, I have heard tragic stories like this, in fact this was one of them. Perhaps you too have heard similar ones. You know people who have acquired so much wealth but in the end, tragically plunged into abject poverty because of greed. Sometimes we are tempted to be greedy. We pray to the Lord for strength against this temptation. St. Paul said; “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.” (Tim. 6:10).
On the flip side, someone said that the hardest battle is between what you know in your head, and what you feel in your heart. It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves. The world needs hands that love, but not hands that conquer. Let your hands be among them. Courage doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid. Courage means you don’t let fear stop you. Don’t be pushed by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart. Even though I have no idea what tomorrow will bring, I’m going to think positive and hope for the best. Have faith in your dreams. Never stop dreaming and never stop working, your time will come. “God promises to make something good out of the storms that bring devastation to your life. (Romans 8:28). Good times, bad times and everything in-between, God has never ever left my side. I never want to be the kind of Christian who portrays themselves as perfect. I have flaws and I have struggles; that’s why I need Jesus. Amen on that folks!!
St. Faustina wrote Jesus’ words; “I will tell you most when you converse with Me in the depths of your heart. Here, no one can disturb My actions. (Diary 581).
Pray the Divine Mercy every 3 p.m. Daily pray the Chaplet of Mercy and the Holy Rosary for peace in our families and in the world.