I look at this Word of God in a perspective of two people. First is a priest emeritus who lived in our home parish in Kraków and died 26 years ago. The second is Patrick Morley, a co-author of the book "The Dad in the Mirror."
The priest emeritus, Fr. Mieczysław Polewka, was great confessor and preacher. Though very sick of sclerosis multiplex, he never complained and agreed tto be spent by God for the sake of others, suffering in silence, never showing how much he is in pain and dispensing his priestly duties wonderfully. When he died, people placed a burning candle in his confessional and a bouquet of fresh flowers in front of it. He was a great confessor. And amazing preacher as well...
His sermons were masterpieces. Very short, straight to the point, touching, easily understood. His most famous ones were those he preached on First Fridays of the Month. I remember particularly one on such occasion. Father Mieczysław once asked - 'What is a meaning of someone's life if no one cries at one's funeral? If there is no one enriched by this person's life and deed? If that person lived just for himself/herself? We should spent ourselves for others, so when we are gone, we leave seeds of love and mercy in people's hearts. Thus our life is in no vain...'
Mr Morley once finished his discourse saying: 'Prioritize everything you do in life, based on who will be crying at your funeral.'
How different these two examples are from the rich man in today's Gospel. But how many of us can identify themselves rather with a person of that selfish, stupid man than with these two statements I have just quoted?
Vanity.
Only by spending ourselves for the sake of others, planting seeds of love, mercy and good deeds in their lives, we are making sure that all we do is no vanity and will stay forever.
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