By Fr. Andrew Kelly
EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY ORDINAL TIME – AUGUST 4, 2013
In Sunday’s Gospel (Luke 12:13-21) there is a family dispute over an inheritance. Jesus says the dispute is really not about the inheritance at all:
“Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”
Greed and obsession about money and possessions easily possess anyone’s soul. Even Jesus Christ’s holiest believers can be so possessed. If this were not true, why would Luke even bother to bring the subject up?
Jesus tells a story about the foolishness of a rich person (or anyone for that matter) obsessed with possessions and dying while dreaming about an even greater abundance of possessions.
The story declares and asks: “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?”
The story’s moral is that the only remedy and guard against greed and possession obsession is: “So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.”
In Luke’s Gospel, growing “rich towards God” means a keen awareness of the common good. All money and possessions are to be shared with all human beings in need.
(Father Andrew Kelly is a retired priest of the Diocese of Davenport.)
Scripture Readings for Aug. 4-11
Sunday
Ecc 1:2; 2:21-23
Col 3:1-5, 9-11
Lk 12:13-21
Monday
Nm 11:4b-15
Mt 14:13-21
Tuesday
Dn 7:9-10, 13-14
2 Pt 1:16-19
Lk 9:28b-36
Wednesday
Nm 13:1-2, 25–14:1, 26a-29a, 34-35
Mt 15: 21-28
Thursday
Nm 20:1-13
Mt 16:13-23
Friday
Dt 4:32-40
Mt 16:24-28
Saturday
2 Cor 9:6-10
Jn 12:24-26
Sunday
Wis 18:6-9
Heb 11:1-2, 8-19 or Heb 11:1-2, 8-12
Lk 12:32-48 or Lk 12:35-40
