Keep your eye on the prize

Armodoxy for Today: Advent – Keeping your eye on the prize, or Staying on Track

Nuestro viaje de Adviento continúa y nuestra primera parada es enfrentar la parábola del "rico necio", tal como la cuenta Jesucristo en el Evangelio de Lucas, capítulo 12.

"Las tierras de un hombre rico habían producido mucho. Y él pensaba dentro de sí, diciendo: '¿Qué haré, ya que no tengo dónde almacenar mis cosechas?' Entonces dijo: 'Haré esto: derribaré mis graneros y construiré otros más grandes, y allí almacenaré todas mis cosechas y mis bienes. Y le diré a mi alma: “Alma, tienes muchos bienes acumulados para muchos años; descansa, come, bebe y regocíjate”. Pero Dios le dijo: “¡Necio! Esta noche vienen a pedirte tu alma; y lo que has provisto, ¿de quién será?” Así es el que acumula tesoros para sí mismo y no es rico para con Dios." – Jesús (Lucas 12)

Remember, Advent is a time of preparation for Christmas, to understand the holiness of the holy day. Right off, Jesus tells us the preparation is about laying treasures. He uses this parable to illustrate the importance of not losing sight of the prize. We are on a journey to Christmas when we proclaim that Christ is born and revealed among us. Along the way, it will be easy to be sidetracked. The rich man of the parable begins as an entrepreneur who uses his wisdom and knowledge to bring him profit. When his work yields a bumper crop, he loses sight of the purpose of his labor and falls into the trap of losing sight of the destination. Furthermore, Jesus gives him the designation of a “fool” because he had labored and not set aside treasures beyond himself.

St. Paul refers to the love of money as the root of all evil. Money itself is merely a tool. It has value when it is used, otherwise it is merely a figure of lines, circles, dots and dollar signs on a ledger somewhere. When money is used, an in particular to the aid and benefit of others – your children, your parents, your loved ones, your community, your church, and yes, those who you don’t know – it picks up value because now, it can be measured by the terms that are understood by others beside yourself. Herein is the value of a Christian community, the Church, where the values are around the common worship – the Divine Liturgy, the holy Badarak.

It always amazes me when I hear someone boast of himself or of his child, proudly proclaiming that they “know the value of a dollar.” In fact, a drug dealer knows the value of a dollar. So what? Are we not embarrassed then, that we are not aware of the value of Faith, of the Teachings and Person of Christ? The parable is staying focused on the prize, on your spiritual treasure: Christ is Revealed! He’s in our midst. There cannot be a greater prize. Stay focused through this journey.

We pray the prayer of St. Nersess Shnorhali, from the 23 hour: All-merciful Lord, have mercy upon all Your faithful, on those who are mine and on those who are strangers; on those whom I know and on those whom I know not; on the living and on the dead; and forgive all my enemies, and those who hate me, the trespasses that they have committed against me; turn them from the malice which they bear towards me, that they may be worthy of Your mercy. Amen.