Pope: seek wealth in relationship with God, not with money

Francis highlights the vacuity of living for earthly wealth, forgetting that there are "so many calamities, so many injustices" in the world, so many children who suffer and die of hunger. "We only have to think of one case: 200,000 Rohingya children in refugee camps. There are 800,000 people there. 200,000 are children. They have nothing to eat, they are malnourished, without medicines. "

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pray “fervently” to God a to convert the hearts of men, so they may seek wealth a relationship with Him, instead of making money their god, forgetting that there are "so many calamities, so many injustices in the world" , so many suffering children.

This was Pope Francis’ reflection at Mass at Casa Santa Marta this morning, commenting on the parable of the rich man, whose money "is his god".  This led him to reflect on how vain it is to rely on earthly goods.

The Pope noted how before an abundant harvest, that man thinks he is expanding his own storehouses and, in his imagination he is also "extending his life": he aims "to produce more goods up to the point of nausea" knowing no "satiety".  Francis observed, he is  caught "in that movement of exasperated consumerism." "It is God, who puts an end to this attachment to money. When a man becomes a slave of money. And this is not a tale that Jesus invents: this is reality. It is the reality of today. It is the reality of today. Many men who live to worship money, to make money their god. So many people who only live for this and life is meaningless. 'Thus is he who builds up treasures for himself, says the Lord, and does not enrich himself with God: they do not know what being enriched by God is."

In this regard, the Pope cited a successful episode years ago in Argentina - in the "other diocese" as he often calls Buenos Aires - when a wealthy businessman, knowing that he was severely ill, bought a villa without a second thought although he would soon have to stand "before God". And even today, there are those people hungry for money and earthly possessions, people who have "a lot of" in front of "hungry children who do not have medicines who do not have education, who are abandoned": it is, warned Francis of "An idolatry that kills", which makes "human sacrifices".

"This idolatry causes so many people to starve. We only have to think of one case: 200,000 Rohingya children in refugee camps. There are 800,000 people there. 200,000 are children. They have nothing to eat, they are malnourished, without medicines. Even today this happens. It is not something that the Lord says of those times: no. Today! And our prayer must be strong: Lord, please touch the hearts of these people who worship the god of money. Touch my heart too so that I do not fall into what I can see. " Another "consequence" is war. Even "family" war. "We all know what happens when there is an inheritance up for grabs: families are divided and end up hating each other. The Lord stresses with softness in the end: 'He who does not enrich himself with God'. That is the only way. Wealth, but in God. And it's not a scorn for money, no. It is just for greed, as He says: greediness. Living attached to the god of money". That is why, he concludes, our prayer must be strong, thus seeking in God the solid foundation of our existence.