29th Week in Ordinary Time
23rd October 2023 (Monday) Readings and Reflection
Psalter: Week 1
Reading of the Day
First Reading: Romans 4:20-25
Brethren: No unbelief made Abraham waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness”. But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
Luke 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75 (R. 68)
R/. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited his people.
Alleluia
V/. Alleluia R/. Alleluia
V/. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven..
R/. Alleluia
Gospel : Luke 12:13-21
At that time: Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of one’s possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich towards God.”
Daily Gospel Reflection
The Reflection by Fr. Thumma Mariadas Reddy MSFS{alertWarning}
Highlight: Vanity of vanities!
Guidlines: Intelligence, knowledge, competence, big money, position, and fame are no guarantees for wisdom. They can often lead one to vanity and shallowness{alertSuccess}
1. In the gospel, Jesus narrates a parable of a rich fool. The parable of the rich fool is not just one story among many, narrated by Jesus. But it is a live story because there are many such fools today and none of us is exempt from such foolishness to some degree or other.
2. It is not a soft lesson but a serious warning! It is not only the fate of the rich man in the parable but the fate of each present fool. Jesus is very clear and stern: "It is the fate of those who are rich in the sight of the world, but not in the sight of God".
3. Just imagine the miserable fate of the rich fool. One who toiled so hard but could not enjoy the fruits of his labour; one who made fantastic plans but did not have the future to implement them; one who had abundance for generations but had no life to enjoy it; one who had the intelligence to acquire for the passing world but failed to procure for the eternal life; one who thought all for himself to possess and enjoy but had to leave to others to own and enjoy.
4. How similar is the life and fate of many in our times? So many are slaves to money and pleasure. So many spend their whole time and energies with the least concern for family and good human relationships. So many scorn the right values for the sake of profit and self-interest. So many defraud and cheat to amass wealth and to maintain shallow and false status and dignity. So many are much bothered about the temporary and temporal but neglect the spiritual and eternal. Are these not traces of folly?
5. How to eliminate such signs of folly? Grow wise. First and foremost, realize that the worth and beauty of life do not consist in greedy accumulation, material abundance, or economic affluence. Rather life is beautiful and meaningful in the richness of heart, in the abundance of goodness, in the growth in virtues, and the orientation toward heaven and eternity. Not goods but good, not greed but the need for good, should be the motto of life.
6. Now How to grow wise? The answer too is given in the parable: "Become rich in God's sight". Become acceptable and pleasing to God. It is better to obey and surrender to God rather than succumb to evil.
7. The answer is quite straight in the Wisdom spirituality: "Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Prov 1. 7). So the more one has a loving reverence towards God, the more one becomes wise. The more devotion increases, the more wisdom increases. The more spirituality, the less temporality.
8. Therefore the crucial reason for the misery of today's society is very clear: on the one hand, the increase of greed and materialism; the decrease of God and altruism, on the other hand. Let us not evade the issue or find temporary solutions or shallow remedies in worldliness. The only solution, remedy, and antidote are God and good!
Practice: Those who set their hearts on higher things, will also live higher lives. To be practical and to be concerned about the present life does not mean to be earth-bound and to be guided by lesser motives{alertSuccess}