29th Week in Ordinary Time
1st Reading: Eph 2:1-10
Brothers and sisters: You were dead in your transgressions and sins in which you once lived following the age of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the desires of our flesh, following the wishes of the flesh and the impulses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ (by grace you have been saved), raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast. For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.
Gospel: Lk 12:13-21
Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.” He replied to him, “Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?” Then he said to the crowd, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” Then he told them a parable. “There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?’ And he said, ‘This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’ Thus, will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.”
RICH FOOLS: Is the world today turning into the society of ‘the rich fools’? Main concern for the people appears to be making the barns bigger, store up as many things that they can accumulate, eat, drink, and make merry. Most of us live like the rich fool without thinking about the possibility of being called to give the account of our life. If the goods of the world make us lose sight of the eternal life, we are in great danger of losing the most important goal in life. Jesus’ advice is always pertinent, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Most of those who accumulated wealth and possessions are in ever growing anxieties and depression. The way to happiness and joy is in giving away rather than accumulating!
Prayer: Lord, may we seek always your kingdom
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THE TRUE RICHNESS: Poverty and richness are subjective. There is a kind of richness which impoverishes our hearts, while other type of riches makes us really rich. There are riches which destroy our families, which make us mean and separate us from one another. The best gifts are ourselves which no riches can buy. The rich relationships, rich emotions, rich values rich ideals make us really rich. We need to invest in what makes us more human, and treasure those things which enhances the divine gift that is in you. Invest in love!! And discover in others gifts which enrich you.
DAILY GOSPEL 