We spend a lot of time thinking about our retirement. And rightly so. Most of us are told from a young age to start planning early, to be smart with our finances, to invest, to save, and to build a future that’s secure and stable. We work with financial advisors, open up retirement accounts, look into life insurance policies, and maybe even take a few risks with investments. And we do all of this because we want to make sure that, when the time comes, we’re ready. We don’t want to be caught off guard. We want to be prepared. And, that’s good. It’s responsible. It’s wise.

But as I prayed with the readings for this weekend, I found myself asking: Do we put that same energy into preparing for our eternal future? Do we think as intentionally about our spiritual retirement as we do about our financial one?

Our First Reading from the Book of Ecclesiastes makes us think about this tension. The author, often identified as Qoheleth, had everything: wisdom, wealth, power, pleasures. He had made it. He was successful. And yet, he finds himself asking: What’s the point? What’s the point of accumulating things you can’t take with you? What’s the value of working endlessly for something that ultimately doesn’t last?

Qoheleth’s conclusion is kind of bleak on the surface, but it’s also honest. He reminds us that much of what we chase in this life is fleeting. And in his time, before the Jewish people had a developed understanding of heaven or hell, this was the best they could do. All they could focus on was living for the present moment, to find meaning in the day-to-day, and to not cling too tightly to these temporary, earthly things.

But the Gospel reveals something more. Jesus tells the parable of the rich fool not just to make a point about wealth, but to expose the deep spiritual danger of a life that leaves God out of the equation. The rich man in the parable had done everything right by the world’s standards: he built up bigger barns, prepared for years of comfort, and assumed he had plenty of time. But Jesus gives the punchline. He says: “You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you.” This man had planned for everything…except eternity.

Jesus isn’t condemning preparation. He’s redirecting it. He’s trying to get our attention. He’s giving us a reality check. He wants to remind us that our lives are short, our possessions are temporary, and our true home is not here. His invitation is clear: “Store up treasure in heaven.”

That’s exactly what St. Paul picks up on in his letter to the Colossians. He tells us to “seek what is above,” to remember who we are and whose we are. Because of Christ, we are now citizens of Heaven. That’s our destination. That’s our inheritance. That’s the future we should be planning for with even greater urgency than any retirement portfolio.

And here’s the thing: our hearts already know this. Deep down, we know we weren’t made for this world. That’s why the things of this life don’t fully satisfy us. That’s why we always want more. That longing we feel? It’s not a flaw, it’s something we’re given at the moment we’re created. At the moment we are conceived, the Lord imprints it on our hearts. It’s the echo of eternity calling us home. It’s a desire to be with God.

So, what does it mean to build our spiritual retirement plan? It means making time for the things that prepare our hearts for Heaven. We can do that by getting to Mass as often as we can; visiting the Blessed Sacrament, even just for a few minutes; sharing our hearts with the Lord. It means reading Scripture daily, getting to Confession regularly, asking for forgiveness, and for the grace to keep going. Pray the rosary. Talk to the saints. Serve others. Love deeply. Give generously. Live intentionally as disciples of Jesus. Those are the kinds of deposits that build our inheritance in Heaven.

So today, as we come forward for Holy Communion, lets’ ask the Lord to help us focus not just on what’s happening tomorrow, or next week, or next month, or next year, but what’s coming in eternity. Let’s make a renewed commitment to take our relationship with Jesus seriously, to think about what we’re building…not just financially, but eternally. Because the Kingdom of Heaven is not just our retirement plan. It’s our real home. Let’s live like it.

Painting: The Parable of the Rich Fool, also known as The Money Changer (1627), Rembrandt. Wikimedia Commons. Used under public domain license.