Daily Gospel Reflection
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July 31, 2022
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.”
Typical human motivations are power, pleasure, and possessions. Possessions provide for our basic needs, yet obtaining and maintaining them can divert us to a path of self-centeredness and less empathy-in-action for others.
In today’s gospel, Jesus says, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.”
I am in touch with this challenge whenever I see someone holding cardboard asking for assistance. I feel torn between wanting to help and not enabling non-lifegiving behaviors.
My wife and I, along with our grandchildren, put together and hand out “manna bags” containing protein bars, toothpaste, toothbrush, and socks. We also contribute to organizations that can better determine how best to help those with significant needs.
In today’s gospel, the rich man expects to enjoy his possessions forever. Instead, he dies, all of his possessions passing to others. It ultimately did not matter what he had in his wallet!
My wife and I are retired. We are privileged with financial stability, so we face the challenge of discerning how we use our wealth in a society with unjust wealth distribution, economic uncertainties, and turmoil caused by climate change. We ask ourselves what we really need and what we keep out of complacency, selfishness, and unwillingness to trust God. “In God We Trust” is inscribed on our money. What is inscribed on our hearts and in our actions?
In Matt 19:21-22, Jesus said, “If you would be perfect, go sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
Are we investing in what matters to God or buying into the accumulation of possessions promoted by contemporary society? Do we judge we are in control like the man building new, bigger barns? To the extent we make God our principal focus, God will pay us interest!
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.