EDGE: April 5
Greed & Materialism: The Consumption of Goods
OBJECTIVE:
To examine our attitudes toward material goods and the consumption of goods.
OVERVIEW:
Our culture puts a great deal of emphasis on what you own. Commercials scream at us to buy products they claim as “necessities.” Advertisements tell us we need more stuff because it will make our lives easier and better. However, the owning of stuff is merely an illusion of security. Jesus says in the Gospel of Matthew: “do no lay up for yourselves reasures on earht, where moth and rust consume and wehre theives break in and steal.” (6: 19).
Material goods have such a tremendous impact in our culture that some families are willing to sacrifice basic necessities in order to have shoes, clothes, computers, etc. All of our “stuff” will someday pass away. Computers break, shoes wear out, clothes and fashions change. You could spend your entire lifetime running after material goods, only to find a house full of worn out and rusted stuff. In the book of Matthew, Jesus says that we can love either Go or Mammon (Mammon is a term, derived from the Bible, used to describe material wealth or greed, most often personified as a deity .), but not both (7:24). When our desire for goods becomes a preoccupation, our spiritual life begins to suffer. In pursuit of material goods, it becomes easy to neglect our Father in heaven who is the giver of all good gifts.
The problem is not with the possession itself, but our attitude about these possessions. Greed is the love of things and stuff. When our primary focus is on the accumulation of stuff our families, relationships and spiritual well-being begin to suffer. Those considered to be wealthy are not hte only ones who are tempted by greed. People of all socioeconomic statuses can easily fall into vice of greed. People of all socioeconomic statuses can easily fall into vice of greed and materialism when the desire for obtaining good interferes with a relationship with God and our treatment of our fellow man. The Catechism states:
The tenth commandment forbids greed and the desire to amass earthly goods without limit. It forbids avarice arising from a passion for riches and their attendant power. It also forbids the desire to commit injustice by harming our neighbor in his temporal goods: When the Law says, “You shall not covet,” these words mean that we should banish our desires for whatever does not belong to us. Our thirst for another’s goods is immense, infinite, never quenched. Thus it is written: “he who loves money never has money enough” (2536).
The good news is that we are made in the image and likenss of God. Our self-worth is not determined by how much “stuff” we own. No amount of possessions will increase our dignity as a human person. The bad news is that greed hardens our hearts to those in real need of assistance. Our lust and desire for stuff blinds us to the needs of others because we are too busy fulfilling our desires.
The Church in her wisdom gives us opportunities to reflect on where our hearts are directed. During the season of Lent, we are called to fast and abstain. This practice can help remind us of the importance of sacrifice and help us to search our hearts regarding our love of material goods.
Summary Challenge (Points to Remember):
1. Greed is when we put more importance on having material things than we do on our relationship with God.
2. Greed is something we all struggle with – rich or poor. We can get preoccupied thinking that we need lots of material things in order to make us happy. Things don’t make us happy, God does!
3. One way to help us if we feel we have become greedy is to perform corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Doing things for others helps to take the focus off of us and puts it on others.
4. Jesus tells us that the “stuff” we own will pass away. This is why it is important for us to store up treasures in heaven. We can do this by having a relationship with God through prayer, attending Mass every week and participating in the Sacraments.
5. This week, challenge yourself to give up one possession – one thing you own and see if you can live without it. When it becomes hard, stop and say a prayer.
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”
