A Vision about Money

Fr. Solomon Longo · November 4, 2026 · homily

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

A man saw a vision of the gate of Paradise and many people standing and milling about in various places.

And some did not seem to be going in, or were imperceptibly slowly.

And he saw that they all had sacks that seemed to be filled with golden coins. Some had many of these bags and some had few, but what was more striking was not the number of the bags but what they were doing with them.

The man having the vision asked his guardian angel to explain what he was seeing.

The angel said, “these are souls that, without proper repentance, have brought a preoccupation with wealth to the crossing over from earth to heaven. When the turbulent hours of their death have passed, their concern with matters of wealth resurfaces like debris in the pool of their soul and you see their passions imaged here.”

The man walked with the angel to the first group. They caught his attention first because they were a spectacle, for there were so many bags of coins flying about.

He said to the guardian angel, “Who are these that stand in a circle and toss the bags to one another?”

And the angel said, “these are those that are most restless. They are like prospectors, but they dig in marketplaces and business ventures, and their activity is endless.”

“Who are these that have sacks upon their heads?” “These are the people who gain money for the sake of stature. They parade themselves in front of their peers with the bags stacked as high as they can.”

Who have the sacks shackled to their feet. These were given too great an inheritance and the love of money has been bound to them at birth. They love it like the arms of their mother, but they are slow in coming to inherit the Kingdom.

Who are on all fours with the sacks on their backs? Money rules many people and tells them where to go like a rider on a horse.

And as he got closer to the gate he asked about the ones that seemed closer to the gate, “Who are those that keep walking to the gate and then running away?” The angel said, "Look more closely.” And the man saw these spirits, clutching their heavy coin bags in hand, approach the gate of Paradise.A breeze must have been in paradise, for when they drew near the gate, their heavy gold coins would blow out of their bags like leaves and dance freely on the ground until their owners ran to pick them up and dropped them with a heavy clink into their bags again.

Then the man saw something new.

He pointed to spirits moving quickly to the gate, “Who are those that are running in with golden wings on their sandals? The angel said, “These have put their treasure in heaven. With light free steps they go without reservation to where their heart already is.

“Now, angel, I see some going in through golden doors and I see hands gesturing for them to come in. What does this mean?” “The doors are made from their gifts to those in need. And those they helped welcome them into their everlasting homes.”

And then the man looked in the gate and saw that all those that entered by any means became to his eyes brighter than gold in a sunbeam.

And the angel said,

“Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be a son of the Most High.”

Why does God love a cheerful giver? Because a cheerful giver is like the Father.

We are to be merciful. We are supposed to care for an enemy. We are to give, expecting nothing in return. We are to give, trusting God.

St. Paul calls a blessing down upon the Corinthians in this morning’s epistle, that they would flourish and that their giving would flourish and multiply.

God tells the people through Malachi, uniquely, to test Him. He says, “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.’"

To be clear, this is not a guarantee that those who give will achieve financial prosperity. The Psalmist says that he has not seen the children of the righteous going hungry, and yet there have indeed been righteous poor (think of Lazarus at the rich man’s gate, for example). So also we should not expect that economic stability is guaranteed by tithing or charitable giving.

But, I do think that God will sustain us when we stretch ourselves in generosity and do not withhold our tithes.

We should test God on it a little more. Have we stretched ourselves at all?

One thing is sure:

The Kingdom is prepared from the foundation of the world for those that love others as Christ has loved us.

Disperse abroad, give to the poor; and your righteousness will endure forever.

Glory to our God Who has dispersed His gift to us without reservation. Glory to Jesus Christ.