Prof. Msgr. Vladimir Felzmann aka Father Vlad 

still working to help God make this World a better place 

When people ask me “How are you?” I reply “Wonderful. Full of wonder at the beauty of creation, the foolishness of politicians and the graces – the gifts – I have.” Remember, ‘wealth’ may be defined as an abundance of valuable possessions, a plentiful supply of a particular desirable thing; not just cash and material belongings. 

Wealth includes all those things for which I thank God when – at the start of mass – I say remember our TAPS: our thanking, asking, praising and saying sorry.

There are people - like me – who are wealthy in friends.   LeBron James (Born 1984) basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers, widely considered one of the greatest NBA players in history and Dwyane Wade (Born 1982), who played for the Miami Heat and won three NBA championships, was a 13-time NBA All-Star, an 8-time member of the All-NBA Team, and a 3-time member of the All-Defensive Team and currently the host of the American adaptation of The Cube -  have what is arguably the best friendship in sports. 

They work out together.They vacation together with their wives. The two NBA superstars are the best of friends. Though their bond has been met with ridicule from fans and media personalities - who feel professional athletes should solely be competitors - James and Wade don't care.The two have been close since they met at the 2003 NBA pre-draft camp in Chicago. Besides entering the NBA together, they also won two straight NBA titles with the Miami Heat. James and Wade have a bond off the court that's tighter than most athlete friendships - and they won't let any grumps ruin it.

During a 1997 fight, Mike Tyson (born 1966) famously bit part of Evander Holyfield's ear off, but somehow the two former heavyweight boxers became good friends. In 2009,Tyson apologized to Holyfield on Oprah.Holyfield (born 1962) forgave Tyson, and the two have moved on. In February 2013,Tyson visited Holyfield at the Jewel-Oscosupermarket on the South Side of Chicago, where Tyson said he loves his former opponent.

Maybe he is aware of the original meaning of ‘competitor’: The word "competitor"originates from the Latin word "competere," meaning "to seek together, to strive for, or to be equal to." The current meaning ‘rival’ first appeared in English around the 1530s.

There is talent wealth: “which earth has given; human hands have made”. Talentis the athlete’s innate or learned ability to combine factors that contribute to performance into a successful whole. There are physical characteristics such as size, strength, maturation level. Physiological such as speed, agility and fitness. Technical skills such as dribbling, passing, control and shooting, along with defensive skills. The athlete also has to have a share of good fortune to be to be guided into a sport that suits that body, or the luck to get into that right sport by chance.

There is sense of humor wealth. Jürgen Klopp’s facial expressions bear an uncanny resemblance to cartoon character Wallace, the Wensleydale cheese-loving inventor who lives with his trusty canine companion Gromit. Klopp (Born 1967) Manager of Liverpool 2015-2024, widely regarded as one of the best football managers in the world. Since 1 January 2025, Klopp has been the Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull GmbH. His wide sunny smile, with both sets of gnashers on perpetual parade, is his trademark look and provides a clear clue to his fun-loving personality.

The twinkle in his eye just confirms it. Klopphas a great sense of humor. You can have a laugh and a joke with him. And don’t worry about comparing him to a comedy clay figure, because that’s OK, it’s absolutely fine; he will see the funny side and laugh it off in his own inimitable way.

There is character wealth. At the start of 2016, Googleannouncedthat it had discovered the secret ingredients for the perfect team. After years of analyzing interviews and data from more than 100 teams, itfound that the drivers of effective team performance arethe group’s average level of emotional intelligence(EI)and a high degree of communication between members.

A manager’s wealth in EI, giving him effective communication with his players – as shown by the likes of Klopp and Guardiola. Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp (born 1967)and Manchester City's Pep Guardiola (born 1971)have undoubtedly been the best managers in the Premier League in recent years.

Klopp and Guardiola have faced each other more than they've faced any other manager across their careers - a total of 29 times. Klopp's 11 wins is the most by any manager against Guardiola, while Guardiola's 10 victories are the most by any manager against the German.

Ever heard the popular saying, “health is wealth”? For me, the three most precious things in life are friends, health and hope. Worth a discussion over a meal or a wee drink?

 The future is rich in unexpected surprises; both good and unpleasant. Some players are rich in luck – and avoid serious injuries. Others – as this list shows – have a far tougher time.

+Finally – as I am running out of space - there is luck wealth.  WhenNapoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821)was criticized for winning battles simply because of luck, he famously retorted: “I'd rather have lucky generals than good ones.” 

“Goodhealth”, “Santé” (Fr.), “Na zdraví” (Czech),are toasts not only to the absence of disease, but to a physical, intellectual, emotional as well as spiritual well-being of your friend. Some footballers are lucky. Some, perhaps cash rich, are not wealthy in luck.

Phillipe Coutinho (born 1992) is considered by some to be the unluckiest football player ever. He had flourished at Liverpool, being named in thePFA Team of the Yearin 2015, and being named Liverpool's fans' and players' player of the year in 2015 and 2016. However, in January 2018, Coutinho signed forBarcelona, hoping to win the champions league with that world-famous club. However, in 2019, but lost to his former club – Liverpool!

Some folk are rich in patience. Others, due to their temperament – and lack of spiritual training – lack that virtue. Remember St Paul’s,  “Love is always patient, and kind…” (1 Cor 13,4) As I heard many, many years ago, “patience is a virtue. Catch it if you can. Sometimes in a woman. Rarely in a man.” True? Or disinformation?” Worth a discussion over a cup of tea  - or, perhaps, something more powerful?

Gary Player (born 1935) presents an entertaining story about the origin of the expression “The harder I practice, the luckier I get”. In 2002 he stated, “I was practicing in a bunker down in Texas and this good old boy with a big hat stopped to watch. The first shot he saw me hit went in the hole. He said, ‘You got 50 bucks if you knock the next one in.’ I holed the next one. Then he says, ‘You got $100 if you hole the next one.’ In it went for three in a row. As he peeled off the bills he said, ‘Boy, I’ve never seen anyone so lucky in my life.’ And I shot back, ‘Well, the harder I practice, the luckier I get.’ That’s where the quote originated.”

Thank God for your faith wealth. “Life only makes sense when our highest ideal is to serve God.” Declared Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior(Born 1992, Salary:100million EUR in 2025), known as Neymar, a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for Santos FC and the Brazil national team. He is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world.

Synonyms for ‘wealth in imagination’ we tend to use adjectives like, active, creative, vivid and wild imagination. Have you imagined how you might increase your spiritual wealth? A topic over a meal or a pint, perhaps? To get the ball rolling how about: a morning offering, spiritual reading, admiring the beauty of nature as it awakens this coming Spring – as well as grace before and after meals?