The Poverty of Riches

“Them that has, gets.”  So the old expression goes… but exactly what do they get? And what does it cost them? In this week’s gospel Jesus addresses the price of worldly wealth, its value… and its unintended consequences. The “poor little rich girl” is a familiar figure from 19th Century literature. She inherited everything, but happiness. Her male counterpart is “Scrooge,” the picture of hard-hearted, money grubbing. But whether they inherited it or acquired it, both paid a terrible price for their wealth.