Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2: 21-23;
Colossians 3: 1-5; 9-11;
Luke 12: 13-21
Today's readings challenge us about fundamentals - what our lives are really all about, what's really essential. For the Jews of our Lord's era, riches and material success were signs of God's favour, while illness, poverty, even childlessness, were sure indications of either personal or parental sin. Jesus, however, rejected such notions, and reminded His followers that greed and excessive wealth were akin to idolatry.
Etiquette is important: not discussing family disputes or money, turning up to an appointment in time. So today's Gospel can make for uncomfortable reading as a man wants to discuss family business, and Jesus isn't impressed. When possessions assume such importance in our lives that they become obsessions instead, we've forgotten to leave a place for God in our lives. That's just what's happened in the Gospel: Jesus isn't against the man having wealth, nor the man seeking justice from his brother. But He is dis appointed that after listening to His preaching, the man's first concern remains his share of the inheritance.
When we read the parable, we're tempted to ask, "What did the man do wrong?" He'd worked hard, the land had given him a good harvest and he just wanted to live comfortably for the rest of his life. The only problem was that he didn't know he'd only got 24 more hours to do that!. The man's greed lay in what he did: he hoarded. It simply didn't occur to him that he might have shared some of it (Hetty Green, "the Witch of Wall St" worth $2bn in today's money died in abject poverty).
Many of you have worked hard to earn what you have today. Yet the man in the parable is held up as an example of wasting time by building up his impressive stash of grain and goods. Does Jesus man to tell us that we should’t save up or indeed own anything at all?
No. The problem was that the man had decided to hold on to his great harvest - much more than he needed or could ever use - by building new and bigger barns, assuring himself that he would be set up for all time. And that's where he went wrong: he wasn't not evil or sinful, but simply blinded to what was important in this life in order to achieve the next.
Greed of any kind will kill us! Greed doesn't want to know about anything or anyone else, whether family or friends. Wanting everything for yourself, wanting your own way in everything is the high road to misery. If we measure personal success solely by the size of our bank accounts or our possessions, if status becomes more important than friends and family, then our priorities are clearly wrong. Of course money is essential - luxuries too; but if they become the be all and end all of our lives, our only driving force, then there's something wrong. You know the old saying: "you can't take it with you" and "there are no pockets in a shroud." Once we're dead, we'll have nothing. It's said that our Heaven will be constructed from the materials that we've sent ahead while still on earth. So what's my life really about? What are the most important things in my life, my priorities? What's my attitude to family, relatives, the sick, the lonely, the poor, money, possessions? Make a mental list and put them in order, whether people or achievements. Now, think about it. Was God on that list, or His Kingdom? In short, who, or what, is really my God? Every time we and our parish do simple things like recycling, supporting charities, giving time to mentoring, valuing those who do voluntary work, or even just listening to our young people, then we're living in the spirit of today's readings. Do I reveal that in the way I live?
Intercessions
Now that perhaps we've thought some more about our final destiny, we must also think of our real priorities, as we place all our needs before our Father:-
l. For the universal Church. May Her leaders maintain their courage to speak out against the many injustices perpetrated against the poor, particularly those of the Third World - Lord, hear us.
2. For governments. May they recognise the need to create a more equal society, where all sections of the community are given the dignity which You intended - Lord, hear us.
3. For those who feel that their wealth or social standing is the most important thing in their life; for those who live in poverty. Bless the work of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. May we too become more willing to share some of our own time, resources and good fortune with those less fortunate than ourselves - Lord, hear us.
4. For Nancy Williamson, Christina Rae, Eric Murphy, Margaret Fraser and Alec Foster who have died recently; and for May Carrick, Andrewina Power, Stuart McPhee and John Kaye, whose anniv ersaries we call to mind. As they stand before You, forgive them their sins, and reward their goodness - Lord, hear us.
Heavenly Father, we ask You to listen to our needs, our hopes and our wishes. Help us to put an end to selfishness, greed and excess in our own lives.