To be gifted with riches is a blessing. We all want to live in abundance and prosperity. There is nothing wrong with being well-off because wealth is a grace from God but God also warns against those with riches who exploit the poor in order to enrich themselves. Deceiving others to gain more money is evil. Friends, use money to help people. Do not use people to make more money. Money is good; but too much love for money makes our life more complicated. Be careful of the non-economic end of money: it can buy people’s integrity, it will treat humans as commodities, money can make people selfish and greedy, money can break marriages and destroys relationships. Money is good however putting our trust and confidence to money is idolatry. Friends, money cannot substitute God. God is irreplaceable. My dear kababayan, instead of loving people and using money, people often love money and use people. I invite you to invest more in relationships than temporal riches. Strive for material blessings that are honestly acquired. Remember this: people are more important than dollars.

Finally, the Gospel is demanding us not to be the cause of sin for others. “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” We are encouraged to cut, eliminate and destroy anything that causes us to sin. Heaven is a place reserved for the sinless. It is also a venue for sinful individuals who try everything within their means not to be slave by sin. Let us then avoid all the temptation to sin.
Blessings,

Fr. Jhack