Article 4 - October 31st, 2022 by Fr. Ben Daghir

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One Thing, Jesus Christ
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Article 4 - October 31th, 2022 by Fr. Ben Daghir

Life is fleeting. As a result, it is foolish to store up possessions, gain a false sense of security, and try to avoid the approaching horizon of death. Instead, we should learn to be rich in what matters to God. 

Ecclesiastes states, “Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!” (Ecclesiastes 1:2) This passage could also be translated as “pointless, all things are pointless” or “mist, all things are mist” or “wind, all things are wind.” Regardless of the image one uses, the message remains - everything we see is fleeting. In other words, it will all vanish. 

Psalm 90 is noteworthy, “the next morning they [humanity] are like the changing grass, which at dawn springs up anew, but by evening wilts and fades” (Psalm 90:6). Again, the message is clear - life is fleeting. Our time on earth will come to an end. 

We also hear a parable from Jesus in the Gospel of Luke concerning a rich man who stores up an excessive amount of possessions even to the point of building larger barns to contain all his riches. The man then sits back in a false sense of security and says to himself, “You have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink be merry!” Jesus then states startling words, “You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you.” Jesus adds, “Thus it will be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God.”

These scripture readings challenge us to step outside of our false sense of security and accept a basic truth: we will pass from this fleeting world. There will be a moment when we cease to live on this earth. Even more, there will be a moment when this earth also ceases to exist. 

St. Augustine, in his magnificent work City of God, articulates the fleetingness of our lives. He writes that from the moment a person is born, a doctor should state “he will not recover.” Augustine’s thought is that death is always before us. We are going to die. 

The great temptation, of course, is to be like the man in Jesus’ parable and to store up earthly treasures. In doing so, we can convince ourselves that our earthly possessions will provide a sense of security long into the future as it pushes the horizon of death further away from us. Of course, death is quickly approaching us and no earthly possession can prevent its arrival. We must, then, face death with a renewed perspective of reality and a detachment from all things that will pass from this world. Even better, we should hold firm to that which will remain forever. Later in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus says “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Luke 21:33). We must cling to Him and become rich in faith, hope, and charity - the things that really matter to God.

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Fr. Ben Daghir is a priest for the Diocese of Erie. He is a graduate of Elk County Catholic High School in Saint Marys, Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, and St. Mary's Seminary & University in Baltimore, Maryland. He considers writing one of his favorite hobbies.