Does religion matter?

 This Sunday’s Gospel presents us with a very modern view of the world. It is all about what we have and what we want to hold onto. In this secular view of the world even religion can be used.

The passage opens with a man in the crowd asking Jesus to become involved in a family dispute.  He wants to use Jesus for his own financial welfare. Over the centuries we have seen wars fought over religion and terrible atrocities done in the name of God. History tells us of people who lost their homes and livelihoods because others did not agree with their religion.

But all of this is a betrayal of what Christ the Lord stands for. His Kingdom is not about financial and political security in this world. It is about having a true and lasting relationship with God. Indeed it is not primarily concerned with this world at all. It is about us and God, about you and God.

In the story told by Jesus in the Gospel he speaks of a man who thinks he can be happy by having lots of material things, he sees life as a matter of food, drink and leisure (sound familiar?) but Jesus rather dramatically reminds us that such a vision is illusory. The world as we know it is passing. 

I know when we are young talk of death and this world passing away can seem very strange, the talk of older people. And that is true. But the Gospel is not meant to make us depressed and sad but to give us the true meaning of life, to remind us what genuinely matters.   Our Catholic religion keeps us focused on who we truly are called to be. It is not about what I have but who I am. In God we come to understand who we are and how precious each of us is.   You can’t buy such love; you can’t fight for such security. It comes from having a relationship with Christ.

Fr. John Harris OP