18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle C, Year II)
Community Word:
We are called to be laborers in God’s Kingdom to produce abundant harvest.
Theme: We produce abundant harvest when we share our gifts, talents, and resources generously.
Promise: “…the Lord our God…prospers the work of our hands.”(Ps 90:17)
Reflection:
Greed is defined as an insatiable longing for wealth, status or power. It can overshadow any nobler emotion – including compassion a man might once have had. A greedy person wants to amass more and more, and may even desire to possess at any cost, what God has given to another. In our Gospel reading this Sunday, a man approaches Jesus to arbitrate between him and his brother in a dispute over family inheritance. But instead of acting as mediator, Christ addresses the crowd, “Take care, and be on your guard against all greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions,”(Luke 12:15). Then He proceeds to tell them the parable of the rich fool.
In the parable, a man was blessed with great abundance by God. But his only concern was how to manage and hoard his growing wealth. He was fully consumed by his riches and possessions, and failed to heed the advice of the psalmist, “if our riches increase, we are not to set our hearts upon them,”(Psalm 62:10).
In some ways, we are like the foolish man who counts God’s gifts and provisions as our own. We strive to gather more wealth and try to build our own earthly kingdom instead of investing in the kingdom of God by nurturing goodness in ourselves and sharing it with others. Attachment to earthly wealth and selfish hoarding of God’s blessings during our short lifetime on this earth will impoverish us for our eternal life. Jesus tells us,“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven ,where moth and rust do not destroy,and where thieves do not break in, “ (Mt 6:20). While our life on this earth is important, our life hereafter is far more significant so we should strive to be rich in heavenly treasures through faith and good works.
Let us heed St. Basil the Great’s advice: “The bread which you do not use is the bread of the hungry, the garment hanging in your wardrobe is the garment of him who is naked, the shoes that you do not wear are the shoes of the one who is barefoot, the money that you keep locked away is the money of the poor, the acts of charity that you do not perform are so many injustices that you commit.”
As members of our community, some or many of us may be abundantly blessed not only materially but also spiritually. Our Lord expects us to be generous stewards of these godly gifts – faith, hope and love, by sharing our blessings, touching the lives of others, through deeds of mercy and acts of kindness in our mission fields, and through the evangelization works of the community. God’s blessings should flow over to those who need our help and compassion. In Genesis 12:2, the Lord says –“I will bless you … and you will be a blessing.”
There may be occasions when we experience some shortfall in our resources and we are tempted to put a limit to our generosity. There may be times when we hold back on our giving because we worry about running out in the future. Well, we need to be reminded that we are recipients of God’s abundant grace and mercy, His everlasting love and manifold blessings. This should stir our hearts to be truly grateful to the Lord and inspire us to be cheerful givers in thanksgiving to Him who abounds in generosity. Those who are generous towards God and neighbor will discover that no one can outdo God in His kindness. Generosity will be lavishly repaid, both in this life and in eternity. Then, we can be secure in God’s promise this week, “…the Lord our God…prospers the work of our hands,” (Ps 90:1).
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, free my heart from all fear that lead to excessive striving, hoarding, and coveting especially of what belongs to another. Help me to know Your will that I may desire only You as the one Treasure worth possessing. Teach me to put to good use the material blessings and spiritual gifts You have given me that I may properly and generously dispense them for the good of others and for Your greater glory. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
1. What is my ultimate purpose in acquiring material wealth? Am I cultivating a charitable attitude through sharing of my time, talent and treasures with those in need?
2. In what ways do I share my material possessions and spiritual gifts to my family, neighbors, community, and to the Church?
This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
July 31, 2016 (Sun) Ecc 1:2;2:21-23/ Ps 90:3-6,12-14,17/ Col 3:1-5,9-11/ Lk 12:13-21
August1, 2016 (Mon) Jer 28:1-17/Ps 119:29,43,79,80,95,102/Mt 14:13-21
August 2, 2016 (Tue) Jer 30: 1,2,12-15,18-22/Ps 102:16-21,29,22,23/Mt 14:22-36
August 3, 2016 (Wed) Jer 31:1-7/Jer 31:10-13/Mt 15:21-28
August 4, 2016 (Thu) Jer 31:31-34/Ps 51:12-15,18-19/Mt 16:13-23
August 5, 2016 (Fri) Na 2:1,3:1-3,6-7/Dt 32:35-36,39,41/Mt 16:24-28
August 6, 2016 (Sat) Dn 7:9-10,13,14/Ps 97:1,2,5,6,9/1Pt 1:16-19/Lk 9:28b-36
“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”
WSC Reflection 31 July 2016 Final
