First Reading

A reading from the Book of Ecclesiastes (1:2; 2:21-23)

Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!

Here is one who has labored with wisdom and knowledge and skill, and yet to another who has not labored over it, he must leave property. This also is vanity and a great misfortune. For what profit comes to man from all the toil and anxiety of heart with which he has labored under the sun? All his days sorrow and grief is his occupation; even at night his mind is not at rest. This also is vanity.

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalms of David (90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17)

(R) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

You turn man back to dust, saying, "Return, O children of men." For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday, now that it is past, or as a watch of the night. (R)

You make an end of them in their sleep; the next morning they are like the changing grass, which at dawn springs up anew, but by evening wilts and fades. (R)

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants! (R)

Fill us at daybreak with your kindness, that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days. And may the gracious care of the Lord our God be ours; prosper the work of our hands for us! Prosper the work of our hands. (R)

Second Reading

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Colossians (3:1-5, 9-11)

Brothers and sisters: If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.

Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry. Stop lying to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all and in all.

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Gospel

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (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 all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God."

(P) The Gospel of the Lord.
(R) Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

One of the prominent figures in the field of psychiatry and the treatment of mental health in the 20th century was Karl Menninger. Once, Menninger asked a very wealthy patient, "What are you going to do with all your money and wealth?" The patient replied, "Just worry about it, I guess." In that case," Menninger asked, "Do you feel pleasure from worrying about it?" "No," the patient replied, "I feel terror when I think of giving any of it to somebody else." Commenting on his patient's obsession with material things and wealth, Menninger said, "Generous people are rarely mentally ill."

Many studies also have found that generous people tend to experience higher levels of well-being, more happiness, more contentment, better relationships, less stress, lower blood pressure, and so on. But being generous isn't easy. If we choose to live a life of generosity, we must actively work to overcome the grip of greed and attachment to possessions, and today's readings particularly the Gospel from Luke (12:13-21) precisely address that.

The Gospel begins with a man from the crowd interrupting Jesus' teaching and asking him to intervene in a dispute with his brother over an inheritance. At the time of Jesus, it was common for Jews to approach Rabbis for legal and ethical guidance, including matters of inheritance and disputes over property. While Jesus was not formally ordained as a Rabbi in the Jewish tradition, many people, including his followers, regarded him as a Rabbi or a teacher due to his knowledge, teaching and interpretation of Jewish law, and his actions.

The Gospels describe many instances where people approached Jesus with questions and concerns asking his guidance and opinion on various matters. So, too, the man in the story approached Jesus, hoping that Jesus' authority and influence could convince his brother to divide the inheritance fairly, although the exact nature of the case is not specified. However, it is assumed that it probably involved a Jewish inheritance law in the Book of Deuteronomy (21:15-17), which addresses a scenario where a man has two wives, one loved and the other unloved, and both have borne him children, and the firstborn are sons, then the man must acknowledge the son of the less or unloved wife as the first-born son and give him a double portion of the inheritance. So, perhaps the man who approached Jesus was the firstborn son of the loved wife and he wanted to gain more than his rightful share.

Regardless of the nature of the case, Jesus refused to act as a judge or arbitrator. Instead, through a parable, he redirected the conversation to expose deeper issues - the dangers of covetousness or greed, the importance of focusing on eternal, imperishable things rather than earthly possessions, and the ultimate judgement of God.

The parable was about a rich farmer. He was certainly a hardworking and responsible farmer. He wasn't lazy. He utilized his fertile and productive land well. After the hard work and dedication involved in farming, he experienced an unexpected abundance in his harvest, exceeding his expectations. This successful yield brought him surprise and joy. So far so good. This story could be interpreted as a metaphor for utilizing God-given abilities and resources towards productive ends, just as Jesus highlights in another parable - The Parable of the Talents, Matthew (25:14-30). But then to everyone's surprise, the farmer began to talk to himself, "What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest? 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!", Luke (12:17-19).

Overwhelmed by the plentiful harvest, he focused solely on expanding his storage to hold his abundance for his own future comfort and enjoyment. He was so focused on accumulating more wealth for himself that he failed to recognize the temporary nature of life and the importance of using his resources wisely, including sharing with others. He had forgotten that he was just a little, ordinary, know-nothing, finite, and sinful creature, and God is the Creator, the infinite, and all-knowing.

It was only then God called him a fool and said that despite his riches, his life would be taken from him that night, leaving him with nothing to show for his efforts in the sight of God. Jesus then concluded the parable by saying, "Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God." In this way, Jesus addressed the universal human tendency to prioritize material wealth over spiritual wealth. He wanted this parable to serve as a reminder that true value lies in one's relationship with God, and not in the abundance of possessions.

What is the message for us?

God does not condemn wealth or riches. He does not condemn our enjoyment of life's pleasures, like eating and drinking, nor does He condemn saving for our future but rather, He condemns covetousness, the excessive desire for material possessions, especially those belonging to others. Covetousness can lead to a range of negative consequences, personally and socially. It can drive people to arrogance, pride, theft, envy, bitterness, discontentment, hate, stealing, lying, and even murder, and ultimately it can erode relationships, happiness, peace, and both spiritual and physical well-being.
Sometimes, we tend to minimize the seriousness of the sin of covetousness or rationalize it by focusing on the potential benefits that certain possessions or wealth might bring to us, and other times we try to justify it as a natural human desire or a consequence of social inequality. But the Bible strongly condemns it as a destructive force that leads us to other sins and spiritual harm. The sin of covetousness goes right back to the Garden of Eden, when Eve's desire for the forbidden fruit led to disobedience to God's command and ultimately, to the fall of humanity, Genesis (3:6). The story of Cain and Abel describes how Cain's covetousness, stemming from God's favor towards Abel's offering, led to envy and ultimately, to the murder of his brother, Genesis (4:8).
Due to its seriousness and danger, God has not only given us direct commands against coveting, Exodus (20:17) and Deuteronomy (5:21), but also included it as part of the Ten Commandments. In speaking of the danger of covetousness, in today's gospel, Jesus warns us that true life and fulfilment do not come from an abundance of possessions. Saint Paul equates covetousness with idolatry, stating that a covetous or greedy person is, in effect, an idolater, Colossians (3:5) and Ephesians (5:5).

Similarly, Saint James describes covetousness as the desire for what others have, stemming from unfulfilled desires and a lack of answered prayer and ultimately, leading to quarrels, fights, conflicts, and murder. Therefore, as believers, it is crucial to understand that true riches come from a strong relationship with God, not from accumulating material possessions. While worldly wealth is essential for our earthly existence and can be tempting, it is important to be aware of the dangers of greed and attachment to possessions, which can lead to neglecting spiritual growth and even causing harm to others. Instead, we should strive to be "rich in what matters to God" or "rich toward God".

Being rich in what matters to God, or rich toward God, means many things:

We should acknowledge that all possessions and wealth, even our hard-earned, well-earned, self-earned wealth, regardless of the quantity, come from God and belong to God. Acknowledging that nothing we have is truly ours can lead to contentment, freedom, and a generous spirit.
We should recognize God's gifts and give thanks for them in all circumstances. We should not become so materialistic and obsessed with possessions that we forget to express our gratitude to God for the gift of life, for the blessings we receive, for the divine guidance and for the provision we experience.
We should remember that we are merely stewards or caretakers of these assets, rather than absolute owners. Therefore, we have a responsibility to manage them in a way that honors and glorifies God. We should take initiative, work diligently and seize opportunities that align with God's will and increase or multiply our Master's resources to their fullest potential and for His purposes.
We should use all resources wisely and responsibly, not just for personal benefit, but also to help others. God does not bless us so we can spend our fortunes on ourselves. He blesses us so we can be a blessing to others. By faithfully using and sharing what we have been given, we can experience more of God's blessings and contribute to the growth of His Kingdom on earth.

Therefore, we shall pray, today, that the Holy Spirit may enable us to prioritize God by living a life of gratitude and being generous that's beneficial for our mind, body and soul, contributing to our overall well-being.

(P) Amen.

God Bless You!

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