Daily Gospel Reflection
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August 3, 2025
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 all who store up treasure for themselves
but are not rich in what matters to God.”
Reflection
As someone whose parents were born during the depression years, I often heard, “Keep that, you may need it one day,” or “save it for a rainy day.” Following the passing of our dad, my sisters and I (along with my husband) had the somber task of clearing out our childhood home.
We quickly learned my parents were masters at storing things. Books, clothes, old electronics, and other items were tucked away in closets, in the basement, in the attic, and in the garage. Gifts still in their original packages were being saved for a special time that never came. So many items were damaged or no longer usable, so they were all thrown away. This experience made me look at what I was holding onto in my own home. What was I so attached to that I didn’t want to part with, yet in some cases didn’t know I even had?
The act of purging tangible items is often refreshing and sometimes provides the sense that I may be helping someone else. By shifting my thoughts to spiritual awareness, I have to ask myself, “What am I storing in my heart?” Perhaps it is unforgiveness, habitual sinfulness, or bitterness. Or am I holding onto fear and remaining complacent?
As we witness the loss of life and immense devastation in Texas, we are reminded that our lives are so incredibly fragile and our plans can change in an instant. To truly value the life God has given us, we can continue to be grateful for our many blessings, acknowledge our sinfulness, and release anything (physical or spiritual) that is holding us back from a deeper relationship with God. Then by harboring God’s love in our hearts, we can better share that love with those around us. This type of “storage” is eternal.
Prayer
Father, creator of all, you are the center of all life. Everything in this world points to you and leads us to you. Today we ask you for the grace to keep you at the center of our lives, to use you as the reference point of all our thoughts, words, and actions. Help us to get ourselves out of the center of attention, and put you there. In serving you, we hope to give our best selves to all whom we encounter this day. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Gamaliel was a renowned rabbi in Jerusalem who taught the apostle Paul. He is honored in the Christian tradition for his defense of the early apostles.
The Jewish authorities prohibited Peter and the other apostles from preaching about Jesus, and when they continued, they were arrested and tried. Gamaliel was a man of great respect and was considered a leading teacher of his time. He defended the apostles (Acts 5:34-39), arguing that they should not be executed. “If their work is their own, it will come to nothing,” he said. “If it is of God, you cannot overthrow it, unless you are found to even fight against God.”
Some believe that Gamaliel was baptized by Sts. Peter and John, along with his son, Abibo (who later became a saint). He is honored on August 3 because in the fifth century, his relics were miraculously discovered on this date and transferred to the cathedral in Pisa, Italy. In Jewish tradition, Gamaliel remained a Pharisee until he died.
This stained glass window in the Basilica’s reliquary chapel depicts the discovery of his remains. It is an appropriate scene to watch over the more than 1,600 relics there, including remains from all twelve apostles, because Gamaliel protected the Church’s first saints. (His name on the tomb in the window appears in the foreign spelling as “Cheliel”.)
Gamaliel, defender of the apostles, pray for us!
