In Celebration of Hedonism
Fortune Magazine’s recent issue of September 17 was basically in celebration of hedonistic behavior, with the cover title , “The Business of Style”. The main articles focused on the companies and personalities that mould the luxury industry.
The first sentence of the first article on luxury states, “Over the past decade, luxury has gone from occasional indulgence to daily ritual”.
What is expected of a practicing Catholic with regards to luxury? Let’s first examine the probable reasons that motivate us to parade around in opulence?
1. We have access money and wish to reward ourselves.
2. We wish to be on par with the Jones’.
3. We want our peers and the wealthy to respect us.
4. We want to be pretty.
When we examine all these reasons or any else that we may conjure up, it would be shallow compared to what Jesus calls us to do. Throughout the Gospels Christ consistently speaks up about how to treat the wealth we could be blessed with. We are implored to treat “our” money as that which comes from God and therefore it belongs to God.
If it belongs to God, shouldn’t we use it for God’s glory rather than our vanity? So what do we do with excess money? Well we could:
- donate to church
- donate to charitable organizations
- feed the poor, clothe the naked and house the homeless ourselves, one person or one family at a time
- create a trust fund
I recall reading a Fortune Magazine article some months ago about the world’s second richest man, Warren Buffet, still living in the same house for 30 years and driving an old car and dressing simply. If one of the world’s richest person doesn’t feel the need to be ostentatious, should we compel ourselves?
Let’s recall what the early church taught in 1 Timothy 16:17-19. Rich Christians are called to not put hopes on money but to do good and be rich in good works. In short, indulgence in a luxurious lifestyle is a waste of resources that is utterly useless for next life. Remember that greed is one of the seven deadly sins.
