There was once a stingy old lawyer who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness who was determined to prove wrong the saying, “You can’t take it with you.” After much thought and consideration, the old ambulance-chaser finally figured out how to take at least some of his money with him when he died.
Eternity
He instructed his wife to go to the bank and withdraw enough money to fill two pillow cases. He then directed her to take the bags of money to the attic and leave them directly above his bed. His plan was that when he passed away, he would reach out and grab the bags on the way to heaven.
Several weeks after the funeral, the deceased lawyer’s wife, up in the attic cleaning, came upon the two forgotten pillow cases stuffed with cash. “Oh that darned fool,” she exclaimed. “I knew he should have had me put the money in the basement!”
Now I don’t mean to pick on lawyers — I’ve worked closely with one for many years! But this story does remind us that when we are called home by the Lord, we’ll be leaving our material possessions behind. Yet, for many of us, life seems to be largely driven by an endless pursuit for these same possessions we’ll be leaving behind — how ironic that is!
So how does a Christian establish an appropriate set of financial goals for his state in life? When I speak of true financial freedom, what do I mean?
It’s important that our financial goals mesh with our goals for life. While we set various goals throughout life’s journey, there are some that need to stand out, that relate to the bigger picture. As Christians, we must always keep in mind the greater purpose of our lives.
Purpose
The Catechism of the Catholic Church opens as follows: “FATHER,… this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent (Jn 17:3).
The very first section of the Catechism is titled, “The Life of Man — to Know and Love God.” That is our purpose!
The Scriptures provide us with the story of salvation history — from creation to the calling of the Israelites as God’s special people, to Christ’s gift of redemption for all mankind, and the founding of the Church to continue Christ’s work on earth.
During Jesus’s time on earth, He taught about the important things of life. He spoke of His relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and how we can share eternal life with them.
When He spoke of money or material things — and He did so frequently — it was often in the form of parables which emphasized how money and possessions can easily be an obstacle to what our main goal in life should be: to spend eternity with God.
I remember vividly the time of my father’s passing. His health had been failing for a few years and had begun a more precipitous decline. We were fortunate to be able to care for him at the home he had lived in for many years, the home we were raised in. Within a couple weeks before his death, it became apparent his time with us here was coming to a close.
All of the family gathered at the house for that last week. It was a very special time as we had the chance to visit with Dad and with each other, reminiscing about our family life. I was especially struck how during this time life slowed down dramatically, and our whole focus turned to our relationships in the family — especially with Dad. Sitting with Dad, I’d notice him fold his hands in quiet prayer. Then he would open his gentle, beautiful blue eyes and we would visit for a bit.
Why do I mention my Dad’s final days on earth? Because through that experience I saw firsthand how when we reach the latest stages of our lives, we’re not going to be worried about our bank accounts or our investments. We’re going to be focused on the people we love and on preparing ourselves to meet our Creator.
Judgment
We need to remember that we will be judged by our Lord — our particular judgment — upon our death. As the Catechism states in paragraph 1022, “Each man receives his eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death, in a particular judgment that refers his life to Christ: either entrance into the blessedness of heaven — through a purification or immediately — or immediate and everlasting damnation.” Our lives need to be lived with that in mind.
The Catechism describes heaven as the “ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness.” It is “to be with Christ” (1025).
Hell on the other hand, is described as, “eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs” (1035).
Often, our lives are so full of competing demands for our time and resources that we lose sight of the bigger picture — life on earth is short and the life to come is eternal. So as we set financial goals that will lead to true freedom, the reality of eternity must be kept front and center.
You might say, “Well, fine, Phil, my relationship with God is important to me, but how is that going to help me establish financial goals?” Growing in your relationship with Christ and being faithful to Him and His teachings is your number one goal in life and it should be your first financial goal as well!
All of the other financial goals and priorities you set will flow from your decision to be faithful to Christ. Remember, Jesus spoke often of money and possessions. The Gospels are full of guidance. The remaining books of Scripture — both Old and New Testament — provide a great deal of wisdom. We look to the magisterial teaching of the Church to expound on and apply these teachings at different moments in time. Finally, we have the example and writings of so many saints who have gone before us.
This teaching has been handed on to us so that we can be confident in what the Lord wants for us and from us. He has shown us the way; it’s up to us to follow Him. Remember what the Blessed Mother said at Cana, “Do whatever He tells you” (Jn 2:5).
Phil Lenahan is Director of Media and Finance at Catholic Answers and author of Catholic Answers’ Guide to Family Finances. If you have a question you would like Phil to address, contact him at plenahan@catholic.com.
This article originally appeared in the National Catholic Register and is used by permission of the author.
