Twenty-Sixth Sunday After Pentecost
“Watch carefully how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise, making the most of the opportunity”. That’s what Paul is telling us, and Jesus illustrates it with the parable. We have every opportunity to prepare ourselves for eternity in the divine presence, but how often do we give it much thought?
The rich man here is assuming that he’ll live for years to come. The parable doesn’t say that he’s evil, but that he’s not really looking to eternity. He stores up wealth to last him for some time, here on earth. Then he takes it easy. Maybe he figures that he’s got time to get ready for the next life. But, sadly for him, it doesn’t work out that way. His life here is over.
Notice, Jesus doesn’t say that the man’s soul is lost. He says that the man hadn’t stored up treasures in heaven.
The Catechism tells us, “If a person has fallen asleep in God, having repented of all sins, but has not yet achieved spiritual maturity—the fullness of life in Christ—then that person enters the kingdom of God, in the words of St Paul,“as through fire”. After death, such a person is still in need of spiritual healing and cleansing of all stain, in order to dwell ‘in a place of light ... where there is no pain, sorrow, or mourning.’ In the Church, this healing condition of the dead is referred to as purgatory’”.
Storing up treasures in heaven is working to achieve spiritual maturity. It’s that simple, in principle. But how do we do that?
We must learn the faith, and live it.
We’ve talked about the Corporal Works of Mercy and the Spiritual Works of Mercy. I don’t want to beat you over the head with them, but if you don’t remember them, ask me. Or google them.
We’ve talked about the Beatitudes. They’re right there in the Divine Liturgy, an option to replace the third antiphon.
Both of them are excellent outlines for living our life.
Another area we’ve discussed is knowing the eight passions that lead to sin and the opposite virtues.
They are
Gluttony, contrasted with Temperance
Lust, contrasted with Wholeness of being
Avarice, or greed, contrasted with Generosity
Melancholy, or Sadness, contrasted with Joy in the Holy Spirit
Anger, contrasted with Long-suffering
Acedia, or despondency, contrasted with Cheerfulness in Spirit.
Vainglory, contrasted with Humble-mindedness
Pride, contrasted with Humility
Another view of virtues is listed in the little catechism of the Hear Me, O Lord prayer book. They are the Moral Virtues - Fortitude, Temperance, Prudence, and Justice - and the Spiritual Virtues - Faith, Hope, and Love.
So, we have three approaches, or three categories, if you will, of treasures to build up in heaven - Works of Mercy are our interactions with others, Beatitudes are our attitudes, and Virtues are the inward thought processes, the molding of the mind to that of Christ. Of course, there’s overlap among them, because they’re three sides of the same triangle.
Not only will this have an effect on our souls, preparing us for the happiness of heaven. It also will have an effect, even if it’s small, on the world around us. Our world appears sometimes to be sinking into darkness, doesn’t it? Remember, the way to break darkness is to shed light. Remember the way the Christopers say it - it only takes one candle to curse the darkness.
Paul tells us in our Epistle to walk as children of light. The way to do it is to store up treasures in heaven - practice mercy and the beatitudes, and develop the virtues. And all that must be accompanied by prayer.
That my brothers and sisters, is how we prepare for the joys of heaven, and that’s how we bring light to this increasingly dark world.
On reading this, an associate of mine commented, "One of the major problems in the political & social discourse in the United States is the lack of the Cardinal Virtues".
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