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_{Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 5, 2007}

We are all guilty of placing too much emphasis on material things. Our society is guilty of becoming too materialistic. Consumerism and materialism can get in the way of our relationship with God. Jesus talked about this topic all the time, maybe more than any other topic. He was always chastising people for their greed, or illustrating for them the dangers of putting too much importance on material things.

And today is a great example of it, as all three of our readings fit together...three strands of a common fabric. Jesus clearly thought it was important to express his wisdom on the subject, and so we should recognize the importance of receiving it as well. After all, materialism and consumerism is being forced upon us each and every day by our culture and media.

Well, you just heard the Gospel story. A guy comes to Jesus and asks him to settle a dispute between him and his brother regarding their inheritance. Jesus chooses to not answer the question. Instead he uses it as a teaching moment. And what does he teach us? "Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one's life does not consist of possessions."

And he goes on to tell a parable about a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest..."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?" My friends, what is it about the transient things of life that makes us want to hold on? And why don't we do the same with those things that are eternal?

I remember hearing a story about some hunters in the jungle who came up with a very creative way to catch monkeys. They would take a heavy glass bottles with a narrow neck and tie it to a tree. Then they would put some food in the bottom of it. After leaving for a few hours they would return to find a monkey sitting there with its hand in the bottle. Now you are probably wondering why the monkey did not just take the food and run. You see, the neck of the bottle was just wide enough to allow a hand in, but too narrow to let a closed fist out. Once the monkey grabbed the food, it was stuck. And the amazing thing was that the monkeys would never let go. They never would! If only they would have realized that in order to be free, they needed to let go of something.

And so it is with us! We cling to things. We hold on for dear life. We hold on to people and attitudes and grudges and wants so tightly that we are unable to be truly free, as God created us to be. What are you and I clinging to? What do we need to let go of?

Don't get me wrong. The things of this life, including our material possessions, are not bad in themselves. In fact, they're often good, and we should be thankful for having them. We know that. But we also know deep down that they can't really bring us true happiness and joy because they are not eternal! What's the old joke?...There was a vigil wake service for a very rich man in town. One of the mourners asked, "How much did he leave?" The funeral director said, "All of it!"

And yet we do accumulate more and more all the time. Our houses are bigger. Our garages have to be bigger to accommodate our bigger cars. We see more and more storage facilities going up all over the place. We just keep accumulating more and more stuff. What's going on? Why does this stuff have so much power over us? And it wouldn't have that much power over us if it just stayed in a closet, on a shelf, in a box. But we know what the problem is. Some of these things make their way into our minds, hearts, and souls. And many of these things don't really mean much to God. Should they really matter to us?

That makes me think, "Maybe I need to give away some of my things, my stuff." And I need to do it precisely because I don't want to. It's easy to give away or let go of something that means little to us, something we don't want. Just go to a garage sale for proof of that. For my spiritual health, I think I need to give away something of importance, something that I like or maybe actually use.

And I know it will be good for me. But this is just the start. The real stuff I need to let go are the attitudes...pettiness, envy, selfishness, pride. That has to be next if I really want to grow in my spiritual life, if I truly want to be free. What might you need to let go of? What's holding you back? What's weighing you down? What has a little too much of your heart?

Like the monkey with its hand in the bottle, we often go through life with our fists clinched, holding on to something that's not good for us, not lasting, not eternal! And yet the spiritual life is all about letting go.

I once saw a beautiful painting which showed nothing but the open hands of Jesus...no face, no surroundings...nothing but his hands. And the posture was one that expressed such love, tenderness, and compassion. And the truth is that this is how our God comes to us...vulnerable, giving, reaching out, self-emptying. Can we do the same? Do we have the courage to open our hands and release all that is holding us back and weighing us down?

Today let's pry our hands off all that burdens us, and place our empty hands in the Lord's. And as he embraces us, may we embrace him back, clinging to the only thing worth holding on to, Jesus, the only one worth walking with on this journey of
life.