By REY FLORES
Pontius Pilate once asked, “What is truth?” Today I ask you, “What is wealth?”
Forbes magazine just released their list of the wealthiest counties in the United States. In their report titled, “Greater Washington has half of the nation’s richest counties,” coming in at number one is Loudon County in Virginia. Not surprisingly, it’s a short 36 miles away from Washington, D.C., the capital of the entire Free World.
Not trailing too far behind are Falls Church, Fairfax, and Arlington Counties respectively, and Howard County, Md. — also all a stone’s throw away from Washington, D.C. The remaining richest counties on the Forbes list are Douglas County in Colorado, Los Alamos County in New Mexico, Williamson County in Tennessee, Hunterdon County in New Jersey, and Santa Clara County in California.
Forbes also reports that the average median household income is $125,900 in Loudon County, Va., while the lowest median income of these richest counties is Santa Clara County in California, with a median household income topping out at $102,191.
Average median household income means average. That doesn’t include the millionaires and billionaires who also live in these wealthiest of our nation’s counties.
I reside not too far from Loudon County in Virginia and in some of my daily travels, I drive by some of the most beautiful estates and homes I have ever seen. Many have incredibly gorgeous panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and farmland that look like something out of a movie.
While I do reside in the D.C. Metro area, I assure you that I am not among the wealthy bunch here, but it sure is nice to witness this idyllic scenery that reminds me of what a beautiful work of art God created when He made this part of the world.
Driving through such abundantly wealthy neighborhoods where homes include hundreds, if not thousands, of acres, and with huge mansions, and polo and tennis clubs all around, it reminds me of Mark 8:36: “For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul?”
Don’t get me wrong, folks. I fully support entrepreneurship, capitalism, and free markets, if they do not harm people or the environment. I am not sure how some of these people either amassed or inherited their material wealth, but what troubled me here was my obsession on their possessions.
That brought me to reflect upon one of God’s Ten Commandments that I do not often think about, despite my breaking it several times in my daily life: “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.”
I am guilty of this and I take full responsibility for it. Now that I have recognized my breaking this Commandment, how do I stop myself from doing it?
Do you, dear reader, find yourself breaking this Commandment as I have? It’s hard not to when we live in an “Amazon” society where we can order just about anything we want from our computers or smartphones.
It’s hard not to covet our neighbor’s goods in a world of idolatry that worships celebrity, fame, and wealth. We are fallen, we are human, and we all have original sin within us. These are not excuses for not mending our ways; they are realities that we must fight against if we ever want to make it to Heaven.
If we want to talk about true wealth, one of the most valuable things that I have is my trust in the Lord. While I may not understand His plan in my darkest moments, I know that I am not alone and that He will never abandon me.
Our God is a merciful and forgiving God, so when I fall like this, or with any other sin, I run to him in the sacraments. He is always there and for that I am so ever grateful.
The wealth that we have as Catholics could never be measured by Forbes or by Condé Nast magazines. We may never be featured on a show like that old MTV show Cribs where they visited the most opulent, and often garish, celebrity mansions. I know my 2008 Toyota won’t likely make it on Jay Leno’s Garage, but she runs like a charm, she’s great on gas, and for that I am grateful.
So as Catholics, let us ask ourselves again: What is true wealth?
To me my greatest treasures are my bond with and my faith in God through the Catholic Church. While I admittedly have often fallen short of expressing my gratitude to my wife and our six children, they certainly are my greatest earthly treasure.
Former Van Halen lead singer David Lee Roth once said during an interview, “Money can’t buy you happiness, but at least you can park your yacht next to it.” Funny yes; spiritually edifying? No.
Again, there’s nothing wrong with having extraordinary amounts of material wealth if it was earned through hard work and determination. I am just grateful to at least have enough to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table, but from here on forward, I am looking for ways to provide a better life to my wife and kids.
Seeking the Kingdom of God first should always be in our hearts, in our minds, and especially through our actions. Having an increased prayerful life these past few weeks has brought me closer to the Lord and peace inside my heart. Everything else will follow as the Lord sees fit.
There’s a bumper sticker that’s very popular in the South that says: “American by birth, Southern by the grace of God.” I see it more like: “A son of the King by birth, Catholic by the grace of God.”
Look around you, brothers and sisters. Look and see just how truly rich we Catholics are. God bless.
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(Rey Flores is available to speak at your next fundraising event or other public events. Contact Rey at reyfloresusa@gmail.com.)
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