The first time I read D.H. Lawrence’s “Rocking Horse Winner” about greed, it left a chill in my heart. It tells the story of a simple family, living in an apartment, with a particular preoccupation: money. The little boy notices the anguish his parents suffer, and he decides to take it upon himself to provide money for the family. He begins to ride his rocking-horse, but with an entirely new purpose. It is no longer a simple toy of a small boy, but rather a muse that whispers to him the winners of the upcoming races. He gives the names of the winners to his uncle, who places the bets and begins to gather some tidy sums. His efforts succeed for the family but fail for him, as he overexerts himself and passes away in the quest to provide for his family. Greed is never satisfied.
Against Greed
Today’s liturgy speaks about greed. It seems so appropriate, as we find greed all around us. Indeed, we often fail to recognize it as one of the capital sins, as we like greed. We want to possess things, money, and even people, in one way or another. The problem is that greed leads to many other misdeeds and states of injustice.
As the world watches in horror the heart-rending images of starvation in Gaza, I call on Catholics and all men and women of good will to ardently pray for the alleviation of the suffering of the Gazan people—a crisis already ranked as one of the worst humanitarian disasters of the 21st century. Pope Leo XIV has often reiterated his ‘heartfelt appeal for a ceasefire, for the release of hostages, and for the full respect for humanitarian law’ in Gaza, and I add my voice and prayers to that of our Holy Father (USCCB, “Bishop Zaidan Commends President for Acknowledging Starvation in Gaza and Urges Administration to Expand Humanitarian Access”).
Is it ever acceptable to willingly starve someone? I don’t think so.
When we look at international conflict, we always see a misguided exaggeration of the value of material things. The author of Ecclesiastes reminds us
what profit comes to man from all the toil and anxiety of heart with which he has labored under the sun? (Ecclesiastes 2:21)
We fall into the trap of thinking that material wealth and human possessions can insulate us from the suffering of this life. We adopt the attitude of Gordon Gekko from Wall Street. “Greed is good.” We want to accumulate, not just so we can “win” the game of life but because we get caught up in the false idea that our happiness comes definitively in this life. Greed takes our eyes off of what is most important, eternal life.
Not a Secular Messiah
When Jesus came as the Messiah, he disappointed those people hoping for a secular Messiah. They wanted to revolt against the Romans and regain what was rightfully theirs. Jesus refused to be manipulated. Instead, he emphasized the spiritual value of the message that he preached to them.
Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions (Lk. 12:15).
Jesus does not want us to take our eye off of what is truly important, eternal life. Earthly possessions can get in the way of recognizing the true value of life and its purpose. Thus, poverty is one of the evangelical counsels. Consecrated life in the Church makes this counsel into a way of life, but it is something that Jesus recommends for all of us.
Jesus Wants No Worries
Jesus does not want us to be anxious continuously about our earthly worries. We have to take care of our health and make prudent decisions for the future as well as work hard now. But we cannot make these things into gods. He does not want us to suffer the anxiety of the small boy from the D.H. Lawrence story who allowed preoccupation about money to lead him to a premature end. We should not put our hope for happiness definitively in this world, be it through political success or gaining land or possessions. Rather, we live in this world, citizens of the next. We are made for Heaven, and nothing in this world can satisfy us definitively.
Pope Francis reflected that a heart detached from wealth is the necessary condition “for beginning the path of discipleship” (Pope Francis, 18 October 2018). Look through your own possessions and see whether or not you are attached. I recently went on a trip, and every time I picked up my suitcase, I recognized it was too heavy. It made me see that I need to take less, so that I can carry more Jesus and less me. I invite you to try to do the same.
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