Scripture Reflection, August 1: What is Success?

Scripture Readings:
Ecclesiastes 1:2, 2:21-23
Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17
Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11
Luke 12:13-21

Have you ever stopped and taken a step back from the day-to-day nitty gritty things about classes in school and or a choice of career to see and evaluate how successful you are at this point in time?

The readings for the 18th Sunday in ordinary time point out challenges for us in today’s society. One that I would like for us to consider on this first Sunday of August is:

What is success? What makes on a successful person - in a relationship, in life, in school, in a career, a vocation?

In the Gospel reading, the man is convinced that he is a success because he is a rich farmer. What should he do now that he has succeeded in harvesting more grain than he has room for storage? Build a bigger barn, of course. But will it truly make him happy? The only thing in the end which is the basis of his success is his grain. When he suddenly dies, his success remains here on this earth, and he goes to God empty-handed, with only the memories of being successful while he was on earth.

In today’s society, the notion that success is measured by what we own or what we have achieved or titles that we have earned is based on a falsehood that was very clear to the author of the first reading. He is sometimes called Qoheleth, or the Preacher. This book from the Hebrew Scriptures ( Ecclesiates) is very insightful. “Vanity of vanities,” says Qoheleth, “All is vanity.” The point here is that the only real values are spiritual values. Vanity (which is a form of pride) is at the root and foundation of every sin. When pride creeps into something good, it immediately corrupts it.

I suggest that you reflect on the actions of the rich man in the Gospel reading: Was it wrong for him to think about providing for his future? Certainly not! It was reasonable. But, unfortunately, this was his only concern in life! He did not care about the world around him, just about his future and his fortune. As Jesus indicates in the final line of the story, the man was not at all interested in growing rich in what matters to God; his sole concern was his own personal comfort and well-being! He—and not the Lord—was at the center of his universe. That’s pride! That’s vanity….. That is not success, it is greed.

What I’m saying is that the general concept of success in our society as a whole is a falsehood. True success is not based on what we have, what honors we receive, what jobs we hold, what titles we have. True success is based on how each of us has developed as a person. We are all unique individuals, but society thinks we should all be the same - earning the same titles or titles better than someone else. Or even getting that specific average in school—aiming to be on top. Let me take this one step further. Success is based on our ability to model and reflect the person of Jesus Christ. He has given us a model to follow to be the man or woman of Christ that we are meant to be. That is success. All else is vanity.

Jura Meilus

Jura Meilus is a 2010 Catholics on Call alumna. She is currently a student at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio, majoring in Early Childhood Education.

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