VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI said that although riches should pose no barrier to serving the Kingdom of God, Christ's love fulfills humanity's deepest needs in a way that wealth is unable to.
“God can win the heart of a person who has many goods,” the Holy Father said Oct. 14 during his midday Angelus from his window overlooking a sunny St. Peter’s Square.
The Pope addressed a crowd of thousands, packed with Church leaders and pilgrims here in Rome since last week’s start of the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization and the Church’s Year of Faith.
He based his remarks upon Sunday’s Gospel reading about the young rich man who wanted to follow Christ but walked away sorrowful.
“He was a person who from his youth faithfully observed all the commandments of God's law but had not yet found true happiness, and for this he asks Jesus how to ‘inherit life eternal,’” said the Pope.
“On the one hand, he is attracted, like everyone else, to the fullness of life; and, on the other, being accustomed to rely on his own wealth, he thinks that eternal life can be somehow ‘bought’” by following the forms of God’s Law.
Yet the rich young man turned down Christ’s invitation to give all that he had to the poor and follow Jesus to store up riches in heaven.
“Instead of joyfully welcoming Jesus’ invitation, he goes away grieved because he cannot be detached from his wealth,” the Holy Father said. This attachment “will never give him happiness and eternal life.”
The Pope said that wealth should pose no barrier to salvation, the caveat being doing so with God’s help.
Citing the Gospel reading, the Pope noted Christ’s warning: “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.”
This statement shocked Christ’s disciples, the Pope noted, reminding the assembly in St. Peter’s Square of Christ’s follow-up: “This is impossible for men, but not for God; everything is possible with God.”
The Church is “filled with examples of rich people who have used their assets in an evangelical way and reached holiness,” he added. “Just think of St. Francis, St. Elizabeth of Hungary or St. Charles Borromeo.”
Returning to the Parable of the Rich Man, the Pope quoted the second-century Church Father St. Clement of Alexandria:
“The parable teaches that the rich should not neglect their salvation as if they were convicted, nor should they jettison wealth nor condemn it as insidious and hostile to life; but they must learn how to use wealth and obtain the life.”
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In order to acquire the Kingdom of God in Heaven, love without richness be first and foremeost with clean heart be sufficient enough to reach one’s goal to be with Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Pray the Holy Rosary, meditate the Holy Cross the calvary of our own salvation.
I think this is salvation we need in time of needs and to save soul.
Amen.
J.M. J.
Deacon Dan
Excellent reflections of our Pope. As Catholics we have a spiritual richness that is priceless. I’m referring to the heritage that comes to us through the successor of our very first Pope, Peter.
We possess the richness of the Saints and great Mentors, both living and deceased.
Nothing of this world compares to these spiritual riches!
Janet Corda
The parable is so practical for us to apply…..
May this wisdom enlighten us all through out our life and make this as an example or a model that even how rich we are we still lack confidence of happiness while to poor people it terms complete to have a simple and healthy lifestyle….....
God’s Love is also stronger than the attraction of the institutional church.
So the pope has the audacity to talk about wealth?!Says the man who lives in a castle covered in wealth! “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” So I guess the pope, the bishops and cardinals won’t be getting into heaven seeing as how they have so much wealth.
From the guy wearing a huge gold cross around his neck who sleeps in his own palace full of private servants and even a private security force in his own private country. Mmmm hmmm…..
Verily I say unto thee, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle, than it is for the Catholic Church to enter the gates of heaven.
The fact that the Catholic church seems to think that the statement “This is impossible for men, but not for God. Everything is possible with God.” somehow includes them, is beyond the pale.
Is the church made of men, or do they honestly consider themselves rank with God, Himself? Is that not for the good lord to decide? When one takes it in tact with the flagrant displays of wealth in Catholic churches, and the very arguable notion that you can somehow “pay your way” to salvation within their service… well, I hope the Church said a lot of Hail Mary’s for themselves. Something tells me, they are going to need them come judgement day.
The pope doesn’t own any wealth. Much of the vatican’s wealth is artwork and sculptures. The Vatican has been constantly named by Drucker and others as one of the most well run efficient organizations running a worldwide church on less than 1000 people. The cash the Vatican has is less than 1/7 of Harvard or Yales cash. However God is love and beauty. Christ’s church is the body of Christ. People who envy wealth are not necessarily poor in spirit. Christians who have wealth but do not love Christ and his brothers and sisters are missing the gospel message. I’m glad you reading a Catholic website! That’s a good sign. Please continue to do so and you will see it’s beauty! God bless you.
I believe that what our Holly Father is pointing out is the need to put God first in all things. A necessary component of this approach is to avoid attachments. In order to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48), we need to be detached from whatever functions as an idol for us. The “rich young man” of the story in the Synoptic Gospels has an attachment to wealth which prevents him from offering himself completely to God. For others, it could be sex or power for example. The point is we must seek first the kingdom and all else will be given us as well (Matthew 6:33). Saint Paul taught us in I Timothy 6:10 that the love of money is the root of all evil. We are to love only God and His children. In time everything passes away. Faith, hope and love are all we take to Heaven.
In answer to Ian; the church is staffed by human beings but their offices are of divine origin. If all the wealth held by the church was given away, it could not feed the worlds’ poor for one day. We also know that God is physically present in the tabernacle of every local Catholic Church so it logically follows that the surroundings should be ornate just as the Temple was in the Old Covenant. It is Gods’ house. It is also true that the Catholic Church excels in charity.
Matthew 25
Seriously? You think that the Pope is a rich man because he lives in a golden palace? I thought that in today’s world, wealth was measured by how much money you had, rather than by whether or not you sit in a golden throne. Besides, none of those artistic and cultural riches from the Vatican belongs to him. The Pope has nothing. He doesn’t even have a payment. And he certainly does not have his own “private” country. That’s just as silly as to say that the USA is Obama’s property.
The “gold” in Catholic churches are for God and for everyone’s benefit. He is our Creator after all, He deserves only the best. Jesus Himself praised the woman who spilled a very expensive bottle of perfume on his feet, and when his disciples complained and said that it would’ve been better if the perfume was sold to give the money to the poor, Jesus told them to leave her alone, that she had done a beautiful thing to Him.
Nevertheless, the Catholic Church is the largest charitable organization in the world, so the criticisms of the Vatican riches have no basis. It’s not like the Sistine Chapel prevents the Church from helping the needy.
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