Only in God we trust

Capitation

While Saint Anthony was preaching in Florence, a wealthy man passed away—a man who had placed all his care in amassing wealth. The funeral was solemn, and Antonio was invited to deliver the eulogy.

He, who had fought against usury, seized the opportunity to give the city a sobering lesson. He spoke on the Gospel verse: "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matthew 6:21). He applied this passage to the deceased and, with apostolic conviction, stated that the body should be buried in unconsecrated ground, for the soul was in hell. The relatives were deeply upset, and the witnesses were filled with curiosity. But the saint remained unperturbed, continuing, "To prove what I have said, go to the miser's chest, and there you will find the heart."

They rushed to the usurer’s house, and when they opened the chest, they found—just as the preacher had said—the beating heart. They returned, and when they tore open the corpse, they found it empty.

The Love of Money

This man was not condemned to hell because he was rich, but because he loved money above all else, as we see in the Gospel.

The excessive attachment to material things is what makes them an occasion for sin. The sin lies in “trusting” in them, as if they can solve all of life’s problems, and in turning one’s back on God.

In the Gospel, we hear about the rich young man who approaches Jesus, saying, "Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?" (Matthew 19:20). Jesus replies, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me" (Matthew 19:21).

The rich young man said to Jesus, "I have kept all the commandments," and the summarize is commandment is to love God above all. Jesus gave him a small test. "You say that you love God, but for today and beyond, trust in Me alone." However, the man chicken out at the first test and ran away. "he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions" (Matthew 19:22).

This tells us that the problem is not simply wealth itself, but what or who is the center of our life. Is it God, or is it money?

Riches and Holiness

We must remember that there are many wealthy people who have entered heaven, and many examples of rich saints who put God above their material goods.

Yesterday, we celebrated the feast of Carlo Acutis, a young boy from Milan, Italy, who used his wealth to help the homeless around his house. Carlo was deeply spiritual, and he used his resources to build a website to catalog Eucharistic miracles from around the world. He died at the age of 15, and was declared Blessed by the Church for his holiness.

Another example is Saint Rafael Arnáiz, a wealthy young man from Madrid, who at the age of 24 left his aristocratic family to become a monk. Despite his comfortable background, he embraced a life of humility and poverty, and he died at the age of 27 in great holiness, becoming an example for many.

Abraham was a wealthy man, but when God asked him to sacrifice the thing he loved most—his son Isaac—he did not hesitate to obey. "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering" (Genesis 22:2). Abraham did not say no, but was willing to give up his most cherished possession because God was his ultimate priority.

Job, too, was a wealthy man, and when God allowed him to lose his property, his family, and even his health, he said: "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21). Even in his suffering, Job kept his faith in God and did not turn away.

Joseph of Arimathea was a wealthy man who, without fear of the Jewish authorities, asked for Jesus' body to bury it after His crucifixion. "Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus" (John 19:38). He showed great courage and devotion to Jesus, even at great personal risk.

Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, when God visits you with a test, do not say no. If you hold onto your wealth and your possessions, you may keep your things, but you will be full of things and empty of God. Instead, like Abraham, Job, or Saint Joseph of Arimathea, we must be willing to put God at the center of our lives, above all things.

As Jesus said: "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?" (Matthew 16:26).

When God comes to ask you something is because he wants you empty your heart for that possession could be material or immaterial, and then fulfill it with the love of God.

When God ask is because he wants to give you hundred times more…