“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.”
I liked what Michel Quoist shared in one of his prayers in a book he published. It is worth quoting on the use and abuse of money. He looks at a $20.00 bill and prays:
Lord, this bill frightens me. You know its secrets; you know its history. It scares me, for it cannot speak. It will never tell all it hides in its creases. It will never reveal all the struggles and efforts it represents, all the disillusionment and slighted dignity. It is stained with sweat and blood. It is laden with all the weight of the human toil which makes its worth. It fills me with awe, it frightens me. For it has death on its conscience.
All the poor fellows who killed themselves for it, to possess it for a few hours, to have through it a little pleasure, a little joy, a little life. Through how many hands has it passed, Lord? And what has it done in the course of its long, silent journeys?
It has offered white roses to the radiant fiancée. It has paid for the birthday party and fed the rosy-cheeked baby. It has provided bread for the family table. Because of it there was laughing among the young and the joy among the leaders. It has paid for the saving visit of the doctor; it has bought the book that taught the youngster. It has clothed the young girl.
But it has sent the letter of breaking the engagement; it has paid for the death of the baby in its mother's womb, it has bought the liquor that made the drunkard, it has produced the movie unfit for children, and has recorded the indecent song. It has broken the morals of the adolescent and made the adult a thief. It has bought for a few hours the body of a woman. It has paid for the weapons of the crime and for the wood of the coffin.
O Lord, I offer you this bill with its joyous mysteries, its sorrowful mysteries. It can serve or destroy man. I thank you for all the life and joy it has given. I ask you forgiveness for the harm it has done. But above all, Lord, I offer it to you as a symbol of all the labors of men indestructible money, which tomorrow will be changed into your eternal life."
Ecclesiastes we get a realistic picture of the problems of our riches from the richest man in the world. King Solomon is said to have received some $40 billion in gold each year as tribute. That helped bring his fortune to $2.2 trillion by our standards. So, when Solomon speaks on wealth, we should listen. There will be some important considerations regarding money this week.
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