wealth

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D_Hall

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Recently I’ve been bothered with the question of wealth and possessions. I feel guilty…almost like it is wrong for me to buy earthly things for myself. I’ve heard that we are supposed to despise the things of this world and only look for things that are eternal…Jesus Himself actually told that young man that if he wished to be perfect to go and sell all he had.

I’m just having trouble rationalizing my personal wealth and possessions, ( and I think I am despising alot of them as well). But ever since I haven’t been enjoying many of them.

Anyone got any advice for me?
 
D_Hall said:
Recently I’ve been bothered with the question of wealth and possessions. I feel guilty…almost like it is wrong for me to buy earthly things for myself. I’ve heard that we are supposed to despise the things of this world and only look for things that are eternal…Jesus Himself actually told that young man that if he wished to be perfect to go and sell all he had.

I’m just having trouble rationalizing my personal wealth and possessions, ( and I think I am despising alot of them as well). But ever since I haven’t been enjoying many of them.

Anyone got any advice for me?
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Hi “D_Hall” Welcome to CAF. I think this is one that all of us struggle with. Especially in the United States. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) says the following:

III. Poverty of Heart

(2544) Jesus enjoins His disciples to prefer Him to everything and everyone, and bids them “renounce all that [they have]” for His sake and that of the Gospel. Shortly before His Passion He gave them the example of the poor widow of Jerusalem who, out of her poverty, gave all that she had to live on. The precept of detachment from riches is obligatory for entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven.

(2545) All Christ’s faithful are to “direct their affections rightly, lest they be hindered in their pursuit of perfect charity by the use of worldy things and by an adherence to riches which is contrary to the spirit of evangelical poverty.”

I don’t know if this answers your question, but I hope it helps. God bless.
 
Thanks…I know people can do alot of good with their money…But I get the feeling that whatever you do is never enough…but then what if you gave away everything? I don’t know what I would accomplish by doing something like that…

In short I feell that in order to be perfect, one has to give everything away like Mother Theresa did or St. Francis…but then I am conflicted when I hear of rich people who give alot of money away and are just as happy…I don’t know.

Its more of a question of what I should do, you know?
 
D_Hall said:
Its more of a question of what I should do, you know?
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Yeah, I hear ya. I think the simple answer is: Love God above all else. And our neighbor as ourself.

It sounds like you may be searching for a way to “do more”. Good for you 👍 I would suggest that you check with your parish… and see what options are available. In our parish… there are several programs going… which feed the hungry, clothe the homeless, visit those in prison and homebound.

Perhaps you can find something along those lines. God bless.
 
The reason that St. Francis of Assisi founded the first secular order in the Church was because there were men and women who wanted to follow his way of living the Gospel, but they had commitments to spouses, children, elderly parents and so forth.

Our holy father founded the Brothers and Sisters of Penance, also known as the Secular Franciscans, because he understood that detachment from material goods has to be in proportion with responsibilities. It is iresponsible for a parent to have no food in the house, just an example.

When you attach yourself to good that you do not need to fulfill your responsibilities, then you are in trouble. Francis taught the secular brothers and sisters to use the good that they needed to fulfill their duties and to use the rest for the poor rather than accumulate them.

The point is that material things are neutral. How we acquire and use them can be right or wrong.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
I am not wealthy but often wondered what I’d do if I was. I personally think I’d live very modestly and not in a large home. I’d keep enough money to sustain whatever kind of family I had. I would never get into the toy scene or live extravagantly. I think you have to have the right mindset. I know people who have money and are so in love with it they scrimp and save every penny of it, they’re cheap. Others I’ve seen like the status of it too. The feeling of power. These are things that Jesus preached against. You can only have one master. JMO
 
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