Capitalism 101

“…Trample upon the needy and destroy the poor of the land! …Fix our scales for cheating! Buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of shoes.”

So say the wicked in today’s first reading and so goes modern capitalism in the minds of many. Thus socialists might feel smug about the punishment prophesied against these evildoers, if it were not that such evils are committed in socialistic and communistic systems as well.

By themselves, both capitalism and communism are materialistic. We as Christians know that true happiness cannot be found in material things: we have treasure in heaven. Yet how we use material things in this world does relate to whatever we may hope to have in heaven.

If we are careless with the things and the opportunities entrusted to us, like the prodigal son or the servant who buried the treasure, we will be held to account.

If we focus too much on the things and the pleasures of this world, then our hearts will not be directed to heaven.

But worst of all, if we are not generous with those in need or – God forbid – if we trample upon the needy and cheat others in our pursuit of things in this world, we should rightly fear what will come when we leave this world. And leave this world we shall, sooner or later – or perhaps very soon: our sun setting at what we thought was the middle of our day and darkness swallowing us whole.

Dies irae dies illa…

Recordare, Iesu pie,
Quod sum causa tuae viae:
Ne me perdas illa die.

So, until that day, capitalists, socialists, or whatever...
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”