The seasons continue to change and turn. As the fall and winter holidays begin to dominate the secular scene, Catholics take a rather different approach to their arrival. In our Gospel, Jesus challenges the crowd to consider how focused they are on material items. When they have something they value, what do they do with it?

In this parable, Jesus offers a glimpse into the mind of a wealthy man who has run out of space to store the bountiful harvest he has accumulated. An inward looking man, he tears down the barns he already has in order to build larger ones to hold his substantial wealth. But, in a sudden twist, God takes the man’s life and all the things the man planned to enjoy were swiftly taken from him. Nothing he had acquired would travel with him beyond death. 

What was the alternative option the man could have chosen? Instead of building larger barns, where else could that surplus have gone? To others, of course! The man could have assisted the poor, he could have supported other farmers who did not have as bountiful a crop, he could have sold the surplus and donated the proceeds or invested in his community, he could have simply had a large banquet to celebrate with friends and relatives the blessings they had collectively been given. He could have expanded his heart and capacity for love by building and sustaining relationships. 

Jesus is not saying wealth is bad, nor is He advocating that saving items of sentimental value is unnecessary. However, we ought to keep in mind the perspective that nothing we can hold in our hands today will come with us to heaven (even Christmas decorations).

That being said, as you begin to rummage through your storage bins and cardboard boxes to pull out various seasonal decor, perhaps this is an opportunity to consider why you have what you have. Is it time to let some of these decorations bless someone else? Again, I do not believe Jesus is advocating we purge everything. But are 12 pumpkins necessary to celebrate Halloween or Thanksgiving? Maybe, but maybe not. Everyone will have a different answer depending on available space, need, and level of attachment. Nevertheless, the exercise of purposefully considering why we have what we have and how these items are helping us grow closer to Christ is worthwhile for all of us.

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