Cycle C - Year I:

4 August 2013: 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical color: Green)

Luke 12:13-21

Seek the treasures in heaven!

Hot in the international news lately, England and the rest of the world rejoice as the first born of Prince William and his wife, Kate, arrived in our world. Even before the royal child is given a name, the media speculates on the child's inheritance as the third in waiting to the royal throne. Such a privileged royal child!

Believe also that for Christians every child born is a "royal" child as well. For we are all sons and daughters of the ultimate and divine King, God Himself. From the beginning of time we are all destined to inherit the eternal kingdom that is heaven. The good news is that we are co-heirs to God's heavenly throne, and there is no line of succession.

We hear today an episode in the life of Jesus, from the gospel account of Saint Luke,  that deals with inheritance and material possessions.

A man from the crowd asks Jesus to intervene with a dispute on inheritance with his own brother. Jesus refuses to get involved in the family dispute, and instead teaches the man:"Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one's life does not consist of possessions."

This part of the good news that says, "One's life does not consist of possessions" is a real challenge and becomes harder and harder even for Christians to embrace in our materialistic world.

To better explain his message, Jesus tells a parable about a rich man. He is a successful businessman who decides to build larger barns to store his plentiful harvests of grains and other goods. He thinks that in this way he can secure his future. But God says to him, "You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you." Jesus concludes his parable, "Thus will it be for all who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God."

While we need to work hard to provide for our basic needs, we must avoid greed in all its forms, that is to say, fight the temptation to keep seeking more and more of the world's treasures at the expense of becoming rich in what matters to God.

So then, what matters to God? Here are some suggestions for reflection:

God wants us to be rich in humility. Because He wants us to come humbly before Him, recognizing that we are sinners in need of His mercy, and like children in need of His generous, fatherly care. He wants us to recognize the very source or author of everything and stand before Him with gratitude and humility;

To be rich in God's eyes is to be full of love, which leads us to care for our neighbor regardless of how they treat us;

We constantly strive to become persons of deep prayer. Indeed, our greatest treasure in heaven is the Lord Himself. And our union with Him begins here on earth and is perfected in heaven.

In sum, Jesus himself taught us by word and example that desiring and doing the will of the Father must be the hallmark of every Christian. Because we store up riches in heaven by dedicating our life at every moment, day in and day out, to discerning and accepting the grace to be truthful to the Father's plan. This includes a willingness even to suffer out of love for the Father and for neighbors that God places along our journey in this life.

In practical life, we realize that ready or not someday everything will come to an end. There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days. And all the things we have collected, whether treasures or baubles, will pass to someone else. There will be no tomorrows.

Today's parable of the rich fool serves as our warning to seek the treasures in heaven, rather than store up materials things that are temporary and can slip out of our hands any time.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Deo Optimo Maximo!