From the Pastor's Desk | August 3, 2025

Gospel Reflection

Epicurus was an ancient Greek philosopher who lived between 341 and 270 B.C.  He founded the philosophy aptly named Epicureanism.  It is a rather hedonistic philosophy in that pleasure is the sole intrinsic good or goal.  By hedonism, I do not mean what we refer to colloquially.  Rather, hedonism in this sense refers to a body of philosophy that teaches all human behavior is motivated by the desire to maximize pleasure and minimize pain.  To be fair to Epicurus, his philosophy advocated the minimization of pain through simple living and moderation rather than indulgence.  However, the saying, “Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die!” is largely attributed to Epicurus and his school of thought.  

We see this phrase alluded to a few times in Scripture.  In Isaiah, 22:12-13 the prophet writes, “That day the Lord, the GOD of hosts, called for weeping and mourning, for shaving the head and wearing sackcloth.  But look! Instead, there was celebration and joy, slaughtering cattle and butchering sheep, eating meat and drinking wine: ‘Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!’”  In his first letter to the Corinthians St. Paul writes, “Otherwise, what will people accomplish by having themselves baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, then why are they having themselves baptized for them? Moreover, why are we endangering ourselves all the time? Every day I face death; I swear it by the pride in you [brothers] that I have in Christ Jesus our Lord. If at Ephesus I fought with beasts, so to speak, what benefit was it to me? If the dead are not raised: ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die’” (1 Corinthians 15:29-32).  And in the book of Ecclesiastes the author writes, “This is a vanity that occurs on earth: There are those who are just but are treated as though they had done evil, and those who are wicked but are treated as though they had done justly. This, too, I say is vanity. Therefore I praised joy, because there is nothing better for mortals under the sun than to eat and to drink and to be joyful; this will accompany them in their toil through the limited days of life God gives them under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 8:14-15).  

Is there anything wrong with pleasure?  No, not in and of itself.  Recall the reasons we were created by God by going all the way back to Genesis.  We were created for labor, love, and leisure.  God commanded that we work the land.  God created us out of love for love.  And, as God rested so too are we called to rest from our labors.  So, in leisure and rest also exists pleasure.  The problem arises when we seek pleasure for pleasure itself; when pleasure becomes the end of all ends.  We certainly see this in various ways in our culture.  We can see this foundational philosophy within the sexual revolution of the 1960s which we still see the effects of to this very day.  I must seek my own pleasure and anything that inhibits me from attaining pleasure must necessarily be bad; ergo the Church’s teaching on sexual morality must necessarily be bad because it inhibits personal freedom and the attainment of personal pleasure.   

In the Gospel today, the rich man has an abundant harvest and with the abundance of goods comes a problem.  His barns are already full.  So, what is his solution?  To tear down his barns and build bigger barns to store all of his goods for himself so that he can eat, drink, and be merry.  Why store all the surplus wealth for himself?  One can only assume to maximize his own personal pleasure.  

Jesus reminds us that one day our very lives will be demanded of us; we will die.  Are we attached to the materials and the pleasures of this life?  Do we find our fulfillment in the pleasures of this world?  Fr. Steve Mattson, pastor of Resurrection Parish and School in Lansing and a good friend, says quite often, “This ain’t heaven, and thank God for that.”  He’s right!  This isn’t heaven, and the pleasures of this life are fleeting.  What are we attached to in this life?  Are our attachments deepening our relationship with Christ and his Church?  Or, are our attachments causing division between ourselves and God?  

Jesus’ command is that we love one another.  How?  Through sacrifice.  I can promise you there was no pleasure when Jesus took up his Cross, was crucified, and was killed.  But, what existed in giving himself for us was love.  Jesus’ command is that we take up our crosses and follow him - daily.  He does not command us to maximize our pleasure in this life.  What awaits us is the fulfillment of all of our desires in the life to come.  Are we storing up for ourselves treasures in heaven?

Know of my prayers for you all! 

Fr. Ryan