Mind, Body, Soul…. And Wallet.

Is it possible to be a good Catholic in a consumerist capitalistic society? I’ve heard it often said that Catholics lack direction and guidance on how to conduct themselves spiritually in concerns of their finances. The role of the laity is meant to bring God into places where He has yet to shine. I’ll offer my response on how to grow in holiness in the midst of Capitalism. God willing, we can use our wallets to get to heaven!

The difficulty of the question is born from the diversity of people in the world. Every family unit, household, and individual carry different gifts and trials. To make a universal teaching that all people can follow is nearly impossible. Because a universal teaching is nearly impossible, the Vatican is most likely not going to make a pronouncement on what to do. So, any answer will need to be more of a framework to take and apply to our individual life circumstances. Such framework requires discernment, application, reflection, and reiterations. Be patient with the process and know that God is good.

I am going to combine several church teachings to answer this question. This will be a proper quilt where various strings and colors magically take shape and become something artistic. I love a good paradox where things that seem unconnected suddenly are side by side like peanut butter and jelly.

We will need to know several church teachings. First, is the trinity of the human person: mind, body, and soul. Second, is the powers of the mind that is taught by Saint Augustine: memory, intellect, and will. Third, is the three parts of stewardship: time, talent, and treasure. Finally, are the three types of penance: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

We will weave these teachings together to form a response on how to grow in holiness despite the obstacles of being in a consumerist capitalist society. Whether these teachings deserve to be woven together is up to the reader. The general connections help guide the discussion more so than state a reality about these teachings. We shall tie them together to create the framework we seek.

MIND = INTELLECT = TALENT = ALMSGIVING

BODY = WILL = TREASURE = FASTING

SOUL = MEMORY = TIME = PRAYER

In a consumerist capitalist society, we are tasked with exchanged goods and services for currency which will in turn be exchanged for goods and services. This society is based off of self focused motivation, though not without altruism, to motivate market transactions. A foundation of Capitalism is mutually beneficial exchanges. The idea that what you receive is of equivalent value with what you give as perceived by the members of the transaction. We then need to establish perception of value, what we can give, and what we can receive.

What we Give= TALENT

For our purposes, Talent is what we can give to others. Talents can vary in terms of skills, abilities, labor, affinities, instinctive understanding, interests, or hobbies. One way to think of Talent is the more we consume it, then the more it grows. The more we play piano the better we get. The more we learn a trade the more competent that we are. The more we invest in our talents the more talents that we have.

We spend our talents through our intellect with our mind. We are able to discern prudent courses of actions to prepare ourselves to be productive members of capitalism. Through self-knowledge and knowledge of the market, we make decisions on what we can provide to the market economy. What we have to give is based on our talent which will then be rewarded by a type of gratitude called wages or revenue.

If we want to grow our talents, then Almsgiving will be how we do so. To give without expectation of return defies Capitalism but aligns with the teachings of Jesus. The willingness to grow our talents is an indispensable ingredient to gaining talents. We must be willing to give and give and give. We shall be servants to those we serve with our talents. It is only by becoming servants to others will we be great Catholic capitalists.

What we Receive = TREASURE

Treasure can be easily be confused with our wallets. Most people believe that if we have $0 in the bank, then we have no treasure. This is a lie from the devil. Our treasure is all the material positions that we possess while alive. It is not just money, but also our possessions, social network, resources, physical body, or assets. Our health is perhaps our greatest material treasure, but rarely do we see it as such.

We spend our treasure through our will by our bodily five senses. Sight, hearing, smell, taste, and smell interact with the world. We are in a near constant state of consumption with our five bodily senses. Only through intense meditative discipline are we able to tame our five bodily senses. Often times, we purchase things to please one of our bodily senses. Even if we purchase them for reasons such as fame, status, fear, power, or influence, their value is dictated by how people perceive our treasure.

In a capitalist society, the only way to grow our treasure is by exchanging our talents for goods or services or currency. However, the way we are more easily satisfied is through fasting. This is paradoxical, but stay with me. Fasting regulates and tempers our consumption which satisfies us with us. Since we consume less, we need less treasure which makes our excess treasure all the greater. The more we are detached from material goods, then the more we are free to find spiritual goods in this world and the next. Almsgiving allows us to experience plenitude and abundance which predisposes us to perform charity towards others. Although, it is important to realize there is a time to feast and not fast.

What we Perceive = TIME

Time is forever finite for mortals until we receive glorified bodies fit for eternity. With 24 hours in a day and seven days in a week, our time is constantly being demanded of us. How we choose to spend our time dictates our character and personality. We can choose to cultivate our talents or manage our treasure, but time will forever press on. “There’s no such thing as a free lunch” because we shall forever need time to consume our lunch.

We spend our time with our soul by our memories. Humans have a peculiar ability to dwell in the past, meditate about the future, and immerse themselves in the present. Our memories our residuals from past actions which heavily influence who we are as an individual. If we our proactive, then we are able to dictate future memories through proper planning and execution. Memories condition us to have bias for and against goods and services, but those same memories are able to be overwritten through free will and intentional habit cultivation.

Due to our mortal natures, we cannot grow in time. What we can do is change the relationship or associations with our memories. Prayer is able to enhance how we spend our time. We don’t want to reduce prayer as useful tool since it is the foundation of our relationship with God. But we use prayer to repent, love, forgive, discern, rebuke, strengthen, and everything else required of holy living. Through prayer, we become better equipped to use our talents and treasure in a consumerist capitalist society. Prayer helps us change our identity at the deepest level of our being, which will lead to change of how we spend our talent and treasure.

Conclusion

How do we grow in holiness in a consumerist capitalist society? We ought to spend our time, talent, and treasure that reflects our Catholic identity. I suggest looking back at the previous months through three different lenses. First, did we spend our time with intention or were we victims of our environment? Second, did we use our talents to help our neighbor and family or to glorify God? Third, did we consume treasure in a way that reflected our Catholic Christian identity?

This frame work requires further fleshing out, but it is a beginning of an answer. The Average Catholic’s mission is to help equip the average Catholic to grow in holiness in today’s consumerist capitalist society. We may not know how now, but with effort and solidarity we will find a way. Please, leave a comment about what spiritual advice you need to be a Catholic in a consumerist capitalist economy.