Greed, Fear, and Anger

one

Today we meditate on the deadly sin of Greed. Greed is the least confessed sin. And it’s funny, but no one thinks they suffer from greed and the reason is this – because everyone suffers from greed.

Greed is not about wanting to be rich. Greed is about money and the stuff money can buy. Greed is a disordered love of getting and possessing. 

We know we suffer from Greed when we get angry or filled with anxiety either about financial matters or from anything money can buy.

We get angry when someone has more money than we do or nicer stuff than we have. We get angry when others make more than us. We get angry at how much stuff costs. We get angry when our stuffs breaks, or someone damages our stuff - when a material things is lost or broken or compromised or when they are not available.

We see Greed when we worry about financial things

We have Fear and Anxiety about our financial future. We make finances the primary concern when we make most of our decisions.

·       Kids are worried about whether they will get a good job – and a good job is about how much money we make.

·       As Parents we are worried about how we are going to get our kids through school and financially independent for their sake and for our sake

·       Retired people are worried they will outlive their money

Pay attention to how often money or the things money can buy causes anger or worry and you will know if you should confess Greed.

two

There are many causes of Greed but one of them is an undue focus on the future – a fear that we will outlive our money, and God our Father will not provide for us, therefore we have to store up everything for ourselves which prevents us from living in trust and generosity.

Now, St Paul said those who do not work should not eat, therefore God expects us to be responsible, to do our duty and do what we can to take care of our families and the poor. But too often Greed comes from a failure to trust that, if we do our part, God will provide our daily bread. And when we fail to trust God then we seek to grab all we can and store it up for a rainy day.

Luke 12: 22-34: Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat, nor about your body, what you shall put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! …Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give alms; provide yourselves… with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

three

Because we fail to trust God our Father, we often live like street kids who never experienced the love and care of a family that would provide for them. Imagine taking in a kid that has been living on the streets most of his young life. You bring him to his new home, invite him to sit down at the table in the dining room loaded with food while you and your wife go into the kitchen. You peek through the crack in the door and see him stuffing food in all his coat pockets and immediately come out saying – you don’t have to do that – we will take care of you – we are your parents now. Well, in greed, we live like that, we don’t trust that if we fulfill our responsibilities, God will do his part and provide. We don’t have to live like street urchins and horde wealth - we can be extravagantly generous with others because God is our Father.

four

The Screwtape Letters written by CS Lewis, is a conversation between a Master demon and his apprentice on strategies to turn humans away from God. At one point the Master Demon suggests: 

Our business is to get them away from the eternal (that is from thinking about Heaven) and from the present…It is far better to make them live in the future of this life…thinking about the future inflames hope and fear. Also, it is unknown to them, that in making them think about the future, we can make them think of unrealities. In a word, the future is, of all things, the thing least like Heaven… – for the past is frozen and no longer flows, and the Present is all lit up with eternal rays…Hence nearly all vices are rooted in the future. Gratitude looks to the past and love to the present; fear, greed, ambition and lust look ahead. Do not think lust an exception. When the present pleasure arrives, the sin (which alone interests us) is already over. The pleasure is just part of the process which we regret and would exclude if we could do so without losing the sin…

The devil tempts us, especially to Greed and Lust by leading us to focus not on the past with gratitude, nor on heaven, nor on the present moment and what the will of God for me is here and now,  but on the future of this life. I don’t know about you, but this describes me. Even though my life has been full of blessings, I rarely spend time reflecting on the past with Gratitude. I do not live in the present moment focused on what God wants me to do here and now; instead, I live in the future – thinking constantly of what needs to get done or what I want to accomplish or in fear of the overwhelming responsibilities that make me want to escape through some sin. Are you that different from me? Do you reflect often on the past with Gratitude and live in the present focused on the will of God or do you live in the unreality of the future?

five

Conquer Greed by:

1.  Spending time with God in prayer, especially Eucharistic Adoration because, in the end, nothing is perfect, its not lasting and it can never be enough. God alone satisfies the human heart.

2.  Living more simply. I’m amazed when I go on pilgrimage or vacation just how little I need to live and be happy. The three best parts of vacation are usually time in friendship with God silent prayer and friendship with others; two – the meals I prepared with Sandy and my kids and ate together with good conversation; three – watching the sunset together. Those three things can be done any day any where with very little cost.

3.  Overcome worry by Practicing trust, that if we fulfill our responsibilities, God will provide what we need.  

4.  Make Almsgiving a priority

a.  We are giving to Christ through the Church and the poor so we can be liberated from slavery to greed and to become more generous in love.

b.  Scripture, the Word of God commands us to Tithe 10%

c.   Jesus praised the widow in the Gospels who gave out of her want rather than out of her excess because this demonstrated her trust in God.