Not sharing wealth generates corruption and leads to an unfulfilled life. Pope Francis explored this theme during his daily Mass at Casa Santa Marta, reminding the faithful that detaching one’s self from possessions is required in order to not put your final destination in jeopardy.
In his homily, the Pontiff underscored that only one who is generous with his wealth will achieve true and permanent satisfaction. The Holy Father began by recalling today’s reading from the Gospel of Mark, which tells of a young man approaching Jesus, asking how he can inherit eternal life. «Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor,» Jesus tells him. «At that statement, his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions,» the Gospel states.
«The attachment to riches,» the Argentine Pontiff said, «is the beginning of all kinds of corruption, everywhere,» including those in one’s personal life, politics, business, and even education.
Francis went on to question why people are so attached to what they have. If they are are closed to giving, he warned, they have no hope and horizon. Living without a horizon and without hope is a sterile and sad life, the Pontiff said.
If they believe in Heaven, he also highlighted, they eventually have to leave everything.
«There is a mystery in the possession of wealth,» said Francis. «Riches have the ability to seduce and make us believe that we are in a paradise on Earth.» Instead, the Pope said, «That paradise is a place without horizon.»
Wealth without generosity, insisted Pope Francis, «makes us believe That we are powerful as God.» Rather than providing satisfaction, it leads to corruption and sadness, he said.
Jesus, in the Gospel, shows those with an abundance of goods how to live properly: detach yourself from the goods, use them for the common good.
«Open hands, open your heart, open the horizon,» Pope Francis said. «But if you have a closed hand, you have a closed heart,» and you will not find your way to God, he added.
