Today is Feb. 7, Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time.
Today we read at Mass, “Let your life be free from love of money but be content with what you have, for he has said, I will never forsake you or abandon you” (Heb 13:5).
There’s a comedian I love who jokes about how whenever she goes on vacation, all of her money turns into Monopoly money. Meaning: on vacation she’s willing to spend money differently than she typically does. I love this approach. At home, life should be simple, but it’s okay for vacation to be grand.
It might surprise you that St. Augustine makes a similar argument. “So keep a moderate amount of money for temporal uses; treat it as journey money.” He continues, “Notice above all what he put first: ‘Free from love of money,’ he says, put your hand in the purse in such a way that you release your heart from it.”
God will provide
Money, in itself, is not evil; it is a tool to be used for the journey of life. However, when our hearts become entangled in the pursuit of wealth, we lose sight of the ultimate goal — union with God. St. Augustine reminds us to hold onto material things lightly, recognizing that our true treasure lies in the promise of God’s abiding presence: “I will never forsake you or abandon you.” God will always provide for us. This promise is far richer than any material possession, offering peace that the world cannot give.
Contentment, then, is not about having less, but about trusting more. It is a posture of the heart that recognizes God as our provider and believes that he knows what we need better than we do. It frees us from the exhausting pursuit of more and opens us to the joy of living in the present moment with gratitude and generosity.
We shouldn’t live every day like it’s vacation, but it does help to be willing to give our money away.
Let us pray,
Grant us, Lord our God, that we may honor you with all our mind, and love everyone in truth of heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
