Gospel: 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 the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what
matters to God.”
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
What will
be the scenario when we are a few inches away from the doorway of death? Would
we still be concerned about our wealth? No, not anymore what would be of prime
importance during that time are the relationships that we’ve built.
The first
that will matter is the relationship that we’ve built with God, the next is the
relationship that we’ve built with our relatives and friends. Our wealth no
matter how enormous will not occupy a space in our minds.
Why is
this so? Because wealth will not count as our ticket to heaven, what will count
is the relationship that we have created with God. What will count are the good
deeds that we’ve done to those who are in need.
But the paradox is so many of us today who are
alive and healthy are actively in pursuit of wealth. That we don’t anymore care
how many lives would we be stepping on just to have it. We don’t anymore care
if we will be called greedy or corrupt just to have it.
In our
gospel for this Monday, Jesus is teaching us not to live our lives for the accumulation
of wealth, He teaches us not to be greedy. Jesus teaches us instead to build a
relationship with Him. To spread and share our blessings with others most
especially with those who are in need.
For what
is wealth when it will not count as your ticket to heaven? – Marino J.
Dasmarinas
No comments:
Post a Comment