Possessions

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081825.cfm

In today's Gospel, the Greek word ktema clearly means an estate, property, things 'owned', we might say 'holdings' or even things that we have power and control over. It is not too mysterious then, that the English word 'possession' comes to describe when one is controlled by something or something holds power over us. So then the question for us becomes this: do we possess things or do they possess us.

I think in the COVID era, the explosion of on-line shopping brought our consumerism to a new level (maybe it's just me). The 'idea' of buying something and the reality of having it turned into a 24-hour cycle that didn't even require us reaching for our wallets. We were also aided by creepy ads that would remind us that we were just looking at something on-line but hadn't purchased yet.

I don't know about you, but I like 'stuff'. I have had to try to be much more intentional about choosing to buy or not-buy on-line. I won't lie here and say that I have conquered it, but I have pondered it. I have thought about what comes over me as I hover over the 'buy now' button, or what makes me search endlessly for the perfect version of something that I have clearly lived without for decades. My possessions (or potential ones) now begin to possess me. They hold a power over me. One criterion that I have applied when I have been more successful at being intentional is this: 'How will I use this to bring myself or someone else closer to the Lord?' At the very least, this requires me to be very creative, but usually it gives me some perspective and clarity around what I should be pursuing.

The young man in today's Gospel starts with the right goal in mind: gaining eternal life? Maybe this is something to ponder as we consider purchases: how will it help me gain eternal life. My Dad used to play a song on the piano called 'You can't get to heaven'. One of the lines was "Oh you can't get to heaven, in a limousine, 'cause the Lord don't sell no gasoline." Will a Lexus get me to heaven faster than a Chevy? No. I might have other practical reasons, and that is OK, but considering these bigger questions in the midst of our consumerism is important.

About 10 years ago, my wife and I pondered spending a considerable amount of money to enclose our back porch. One of the things we considered was that it would be a place for family and friends to gather. As I sit in that room today writing this reflection, I can happily look back on dozens and dozens of occasions, and perhaps thousands of hours of time spent there with family and friends new and old. Could we have gotten by without it - yes; would I give it up if the Lord required it - I sure hope so. Have we used it as a place to talk about the Lord and share the love and blessing He has given us - on every opportunity we can.

It is OK to possess things, as long as they don't come to possess us.