Francis by Patrick J. Marrin for January 13, 2025

The most precious gifts.

I had an experience early in my adult life that caused me to be less enamored with materialism than the average dude.

Don’t get me wrong; I do not wear sackcloth and ashes and live in a cave. I’ve done well financially, but that was more due to luck (What l liked to do was highly compensated and I did not have a disastrous event happen to me) and “box checking” on the advice of my financial advisors. Money was a by-product of my activities, not the goal. I pursued happiness, not wealth.

When I look at other people who measure success by how big their bank account is, I pity them. There comes a point where you stop owning things and they start owning you. These people are slaves to a false god.

I measure my wealth in terms of human relations. By this measure, I might be one of the richest people on the planet.

True wealth is not measured by how much you have; it is measured by how much you do not need.

We have something the oligarchs will never have: enough.

Traditional stuff, you know, like paintings, sculptures, women not being allowed to be priests, architecture…………………………….

Attaboy Pope…….

Lots of pretty mumbo-jumbo coming out from the Vatican, but nothing really changes…

Money can buy art.