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<\/p>\nThere is a small village in Poland that I have visited once in a while for the past 40 years. It is situated in a rather poor part of the country, although very beautiful. Despite sandy soils and little industry in the area, I have noticed with pleasure that over the years, the village\u2019s old wooden huts, very picturesque to the eye of a tourist but hard to live in, have been gradually replaced with well-designed brick structures, bright and cheerful. In summer yellow and red and purple flowers bloom in neat little front gardens \u2013 joy to the eye..<\/p>\n
The 19th century neo-Gothic church which stands in the middle of the village, right beside the highway, has been renovated and acquired some impressive auxiliary buildings. The parish web page lists all kinds of activities available there. Last time when we were driving through \u201cmy village\u201d the church was packed, as it always is on first Fridays and several cars were parked in front of it.<\/p>\n
Even the central pond that seems to mark the centre of this, once poor and now cheerful settlement, has been tidied up and surrounded with fence. It is obvious that villagers are industrious, hardworking people who use every available opportunity to better themselves. Their prosperity is growing visibly.
\nObviously, too \u2013 as they are dedicated church goers, they must have prayed \u201c\u201cProsper the work of our hands for us!\u201d and God listened. He does not want his children to live in dumps and starve, stay idle and neglect their surroundings. Since He Himself advised Biblical Joseph to build barns and store grain in Egypt against the coming famine, we know that He approves of prudence and foresight.
\nWhy then does He (in today\u2019s reading) call \u201cfool\u201d the farmer who intends to tear down old, small barns and replace them with bigger ones? It does not make sense \u2013 the man needs more space for his unprecedented harvest. Of course he does not know that he will die this very night \u2013 who does?
\nSo what is wrong with his thinking – and what can the people living in \u201cmy\u201d village \u2013 and I myself – \u00a0can learn from him \u2013 before it is too late? Here I have to digress and go back to \u201cmy village\u201d.<\/p>\n
Across from the church, by the pond stands a\u00a0 wooden house, over 100 years old, bent and half-sunk in ground. No flowers around it \u2013 just waist- high weeds. No proper bathroom \u2013 an old neglected outhouse instead. Poverty screams from every corner. Two women and a man form the poorest family in the village. All three are mentally ill and unable to manage their lives. They often lack money for coal to heat their hovel in winter. They always eat substandard food. They are dressed in hand-me-downs. Their land has been taken away from them by the only sane \u2013 and prosperous \u2013 member of the family. They never got a penny from him but they are not eligible for social assistance.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The growing prosperity of their neighbours or that single successful family member does not touch them.\u00a0 Everyone is used to their poverty. Everyone is bent on building up own wealth or securing it for their children. This family has become part of the local landscape, something like a rock or a broken tractor. No one will lift a finger to help the \u201ccrazies\u201d. No one wants to \u201cinterfere\u201d either. Not even the parish.<\/p>\n
Back now to the mystery of Jesus\u2019 parable. Why does He judge the sensible farmer so harshly? why\u00a0 is he the \u201cfool\u201d?<\/p>\n
What does the man say? –\u00a0 \u201c I shall store all my grain and other goods
\nand I shall say to myself, \u201cNow as for you,
\nyou have so many good things stored up for many years,
\nrest, eat, drink, be merry..\u201d<\/p>\n
The man was spiritually blind and it was his greed and selfishness that blinded him. He probably started off as a sensible, prudent man, very much like my villagers. Over time he must have grown so attached to his possessions that he stopped noticing needs of all the others. His heart was hardened.. and no words of the Lord he was hearing could soften it.<\/p>\n
It all comes down to Mercy \u2013 you either have it or you have hardened your heart \u2013 with all consequences.<\/p>\n
There is a small village in Poland that I have visited once in a while for the past 40 years. It is situated in a rather poor part of the country, although very beautiful. Despite sandy soils and little industry in the area, I have noticed with pleasure that over the years, the village\u2019s old […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1033","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n