we are all fools

Today, St Leo the Great very eloquently tells us about the proper use of our wealth in A Year with the Church Fathers.

He tells us that if we use our resources just to feed our pleasures in this life, we are missing out on investing them for eternity. In effect we're wasting them. We are the fools that Jesus talked about who, instead of sharing their wealth when they come into a big harvest, build bigger barns to put their grain in. Then they die and it all goes to waste.

My friends... I'm afraid we're all fools. There might be some of you out there who share your wealth with the poor in a great and sacrificial way, storing up treasures in heaven like you should. And if you are, we don't know about it, which is the way it should be. We shouldn't go trumpeting our goodness to the world.

But if you're anything like me, you don't give nearly enough to the poor, or to the church. You spend far too much on food and entertainment. There's nothing wrong with enjoying food and entertainment. But we should be sharing more with those in need than we spend stuffing our faces with expensive delicacies or buying more cars and houses and boats and things we don't need.

St Ambrose said that if you have two shirts in your closet, one belongs to you and the other one belongs to the poor. Now, I don't think you necessarily need to take that literally. But it DOES put things in perspective.

God, please help me be less of a fool with my resources, and store up more treasures in heaven.