Securing Riches or a Place in Heaven?

There is nothing wrong with providing for ourselves and those we love, regarding the needs of this present, short, fleeting life. But there is something seriously wrong with not providing for ourselves and for those we love, regarding the needs of the next life, which is eternal and unchanging.

This life is not like staying, it is more like walking. Many people have chosen to stay here, not to walk… This is why they try to establish themselves securely. You bury a treasure in a secure place, a place only you know, maybe a place that belongs to you. You save money in a personal account, and banks spend millions in security systems. The money is secure, but our life is not.

Storing money gives us a false sense of security. If you have money, the things that help you feel good in this life, the things that help you stay well, they are secure. However, even when you have money, you are worried. First of all, because the money might be secure, but your health is not, life itself is not secure. Second, because money can depreciate, be stolen, be poorly invested, be wasted, be simply spend or finally exhausted. And the worst is when you have the money, but you cannot pay for what you truly need. How do you pay for a soulmate, or for someone who truly loves you and cares about you? Finally, the very fact that we need money to feel secure makes us sometime realize that on our own we are not secure, that we need something or someone to protect us, otherwise we are doomed.

Storing, however, when properly done, is a sign of prudence and wisdom. It implies discipline, foresight and responsibility: a responsible person does not leave to God or to blind fortune those things that are in his power. If I know that I will have to pay a certain amount in utilities, I have to make sure that I will have enough money to do it. If I know that I will take an exam, it is my responsibility to study and get ready. You cannot pray to pass an exam if you have not studied. God does not replace us when He helps us.

We need to be rich in what matters to God, store up treasures in Heaven. This life is not where we stay, it is a trip to Heaven. What do we need for that trip to be successful?

1.  The trip to Heaven is one way and you have only one chance, which is this life. When you walk, you need food. If you travel by car, you still need food for the journey, and also fuel. The Eucharist is our food for the journey. Before eating something in the car, you make sure that food is not expired. Food gone bad will not sustain you on your trip but poison you. Same thing with the Eucharist. The Eucharist becomes our own condemnation when we receive it in a state of a mortal sin. “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord… For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself” (1 Corinthians 11:27.29) And what about those who miss Mass on Sunday for no reason? Finally, food does not always sit well, even when it is edible. Sometimes we do not take the best advantage of the Eucharist because we are distracted, or cold, or simply tepid.

2.  If you walk towards heaven, you need to be healthy. Heaven has a strict policy against sin infection. Those mortally wounded by sin cannot enter Heaven. Those debilitated by venial sins are sanitized in Purgatory. We care so much for the health of our bodies… should we not take even more care of healing our souls? How often do we go to confession? How do we fight against our sins? It may be that we do not feel the pain of our own sins; sometimes we are so immersed in this life that we become insensitive to the sins we commit against God or against our neighbor. Some illnesses do not have symptoms at the beginning, but if you know you are sick you have to take care of yourself before it is too late. One day it will be too late to get rid of our sins. Even for our venial sins we will pay “until the last penny.” “Reconcile quickly with your adversary, while you are still on the way to court. Otherwise, he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny” (Matthew 5:25-26). This “prison” is not hell, because you can get out of it: this prison is purgatory.

3.  Finally, you cannot arrive to Heaven empty-handed. Well, in a way, you will arrive empty-handed, because you will not have hands, not even your body. But your heart needs to be full. You will bring to Heaven the money that you have given away: your pockets, empty, but your heart will be full of mercy. You will bring with you only those things that you have renounced for God. A heart full of forgiveness, empty of vengeance. A heart full of humility, empty of vanity and worldly honors. A heart meek, purified from anger. A heart full of good decisions, full of prayer, full of sorrow for your sins. We need to dig a hole into our hearts and start storing these treasures of virtue. Or, put in another way, we need to take away from our hearts so many worldly worries and desires and make room for the desires and worries of eternal life: “If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.”