If we honestly take stock of most of the things we make New Year’s resolutions about, we find that some form of greed is at the heart of the problem. We recognize it when we see the likes of Scrooge, but we don’t see it so easily in ourselves when we walk away from the smorgasbord with two plates filled to overflowing, or when we insist on having the last word in a disagreement. Nor have I ever heard of anyone turning a new calendar page and saying, “I resolve to root out greed from my heart this year.” Join a gym, make more charitable donations, yes – repent. No.

 In a January 2, 2009 newspaper article entitled “Scientists say it’s natural to be greedy” and subtitled “A need for greed,” Faye Flam of The Philadelphia Inquirer notes the rise and fall of greed’s popularity, starting with Aquinas and ending with the recent economic crises. She writes, “While it is widely seen as the poison that has sickened the world economy, researchers who’ve studied greed say it’s intrinsic to human nature, stemming from our evolution as social animals, our instincts to compete and, some say, our fears of being left behind the pack.”

Those of us whose family album is the Bible will think immediately of our-brothers Cain and Abel, each wanting his sacrifice to be acceptable – even to murdering for greed’s sake.  Or Jacob and Esau, where deception gratified the greed for inheritance.  Even the Israelites in the wilderness fell prey to greed when they tried to hoard manna.

A colleague once called attention to the “season of greed” that runs from October through April, including Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Easter.  That’s more than half the year we spend competing for candy and cookies and the best gym memberships.

One student of greed quoted by Ms. Flam, Keith Murnigan, an economist at Northwestern University, defines greed as “’self interest run amok.’”  Its trigger, he says, is envy. 

Interesting that avarice (greed) and envy are both counted by western catholic tradition to be among the deadly sins.  At their core, they are idolatrous. They put something else in the place of God, usually our perceived personal self-interest.  We don’t want the pack to leave us behind. We are greedy and envious because we do not trust God to provide what we need. We also do not trust God to love us for Christ’s sake; we’d rather be loved for our own sake. So we set out to do for ourselves.

As I write this, we are between Christmas and Lent, between the feast and the fast, in the ordinary time of Epiphany.  Jesus was baptized by John in the river Jordan confessing his sins. The babe who was showered with gifts fit for a king is Spirited into the wilderness to fast forty days and face the temptations of greed for physical gratification, for wealth, and for power.

Our family album would suggest that it is human nature to be greedy, but our brother Jesus changes the narrative.  He has come to put an end to greed as a necessity for our family story. We no longer need to get sucked in. We no longer need to fear that what we have is not enough. He is enough for us—for all of us. “My grace is sufficient.”

So beginning today, we can choose to live with less, to eat less, to share more because in Christ, we always have enough. 

Even for the faithful, this is a daunting repentance.  We in the western and northern hemisphere particularly are not used to living with enough. We are accustomed to living with more than enough, with reserves—on our shelves, in our closets and storage units, and on our bodies. I know – I’m one of us.

But I also know this – repentance is of greater benefit than resolution, because the power of the triune God sees it through.

As the light of Epiphany shines upon us and lights our way, let us follow our Lord in the way of life, trusting God to provide our very life today and tomorrow.