Monday of the Twenty-ninth Week in
Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 473
Lectionary: 473
Brothers and sisters:
Abraham did not doubt God's promise in unbelief;
rather, he was empowered by faith and gave glory to God
and was fully convinced that what God had promised
he was also able to do.
That is why it was credited to him as righteousness.
But it was not for him alone that it was written
that it was credited to him;
it was also for us, to whom it will be credited,
who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
who was handed over for our transgressions
and was raised for our justification.
Abraham did not doubt God's promise in unbelief;
rather, he was empowered by faith and gave glory to God
and was fully convinced that what God had promised
he was also able to do.
That is why it was credited to him as righteousness.
But it was not for him alone that it was written
that it was credited to him;
it was also for us, to whom it will be credited,
who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
who was handed over for our transgressions
and was raised for our justification.
Responsorial
PsalmLUKE 1:69-70, 71-72,
73-75
R.(see 68) Blessed
be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
He has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
He has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
AlleluiaMT 5:3
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 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."
"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."
Meditation: Storing up true
riches
Have
you ever tried to settle a money dispute or an inheritance issue? Inheritance
disputes are rarely ever easy to resolve, especially when the relatives or
close associates of the deceased benefactor cannot agree on who should get what
and who should get the most. Why did Jesus refuse to settle an inheritance
dispute between two brothers? He saw that the heart of the issue was not
justice or fairness but rather greed and possessiveness.
Loving
possessions rather than loving my neighbor
The ten commandments were summarized into two prohibitions - do not worship false idols and do not covet what belongs to another. It's the flip side of the two great commandments - love God and love your neighbor. Jesus warned the man who wanted half of his brother's inheritance to "beware of all covetousness." To covet is to wish to get wrongfully what another possesses or to begrudge what God has given to another. Jesus restates the commandment "do not covet", but he also states that a person's life does not consist in the abundance of his or her possessions.
The ten commandments were summarized into two prohibitions - do not worship false idols and do not covet what belongs to another. It's the flip side of the two great commandments - love God and love your neighbor. Jesus warned the man who wanted half of his brother's inheritance to "beware of all covetousness." To covet is to wish to get wrongfully what another possesses or to begrudge what God has given to another. Jesus restates the commandment "do not covet", but he also states that a person's life does not consist in the abundance of his or her possessions.
August
of Hippo (354-430 AD) comments on Jesus' words to the brother who wanted more:
Greed wants to divide, just as love desires to gather.
What is the significance of 'guard against all greed,' unless it is 'fill
yourselves with love?' We, possessing love for our portion, inconvenience the
Lord because of our brother just as that man did against his brother, but we do
not use the same plea. He said, 'Master, tell my brother to divide the
inheritance with me.' We say, 'Master, tell my brother that he may have my
inheritance.' (Sermon 265.9)
The
fool who was possessed by his riches
Jesus reinforces his point with a parable about a foolish rich man (Luke 12:16-21). Why does Jesus call this wealthy landowner a fool? Jesus does not fault the rich man for his industriousness and skill in acquiring wealth, but rather for his egoism and selfishness - it's mine, all mine, and no one else's. This parable is similar to the parable of the rich man who refused to give any help to the beggar Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). The rich fool had lost the capacity to be concerned for others. His life was consumed with his possessions and his only interests were in himself. His death was the final loss of his soul! What is Jesus' lesson on using material possessions? It is in giving that we receive. Those who are rich towards God receive ample reward - not only in this life - but in eternity as well.
Jesus reinforces his point with a parable about a foolish rich man (Luke 12:16-21). Why does Jesus call this wealthy landowner a fool? Jesus does not fault the rich man for his industriousness and skill in acquiring wealth, but rather for his egoism and selfishness - it's mine, all mine, and no one else's. This parable is similar to the parable of the rich man who refused to give any help to the beggar Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). The rich fool had lost the capacity to be concerned for others. His life was consumed with his possessions and his only interests were in himself. His death was the final loss of his soul! What is Jesus' lesson on using material possessions? It is in giving that we receive. Those who are rich towards God receive ample reward - not only in this life - but in eternity as well.
Where
is your treasure?
In this little parable Jesus probes our heart - where is your treasure? Treasure has a special connection to the heart, the place of desire and longing, the place of will and focus. The thing we most set our heart on is our highest treasure. What do you treasure above all else?
In this little parable Jesus probes our heart - where is your treasure? Treasure has a special connection to the heart, the place of desire and longing, the place of will and focus. The thing we most set our heart on is our highest treasure. What do you treasure above all else?
"Lord
Jesus, free my heart from all possessiveness and from coveting what belongs to
another. May I desire you alone as the one true treasure worth possessing above
all else. Help me to make good use of the material blessings you give me that I
may use them generously for your glory and for the good of others."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: Surrounded by wealth, blind to charity,
by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"'What
does the rich man do, surrounded by a great supply of many blessings beyond all
numbering? In distress and anxiety, he speaks the words of poverty. He says,
'What should I do?' ... He does not look to the future. He does not raise his
eyes to God. He does not count it worth his while to gain for the mind those
treasures that are above in heaven. He does not cherish love for the poor or
desire the esteem it gains. He does not sympathize with suffering. It gives him
no pain nor awakens his pity. Still more irrational, he settles for himself the
length of his life, as if he would also reap this from the ground. He says, 'I
will say to myself, "Self, you have goods laid up for many years. Eat,
drink, and enjoy yourself." 'O rich man,' one may say, "You have
storehouses for your fruits, but where will you receive your many years? By the
decree of God, your life is shortened." 'God,' it tells us, 'said to him,
"You fool, this night they will require of you your soul. Whose will these
things be that you have prepared?" (excerpt from COMMENTARY
ON LUKE, HOMILY 89)
MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, LUKE 12:13-21
Weekday
(Romans 4:20-25; Psalm: Luke 1)
Weekday
(Romans 4:20-25; Psalm: Luke 1)
KEY VERSE: "You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?" (v. 20).
TO KNOW: When an argument arose between brothers regarding their family inheritance, Jesus refused to intervene. Instead, he told a parable about the foolishness of focusing on material wealth. In the story, a rich man's barns were full, so he made plans to build even larger ones to store his harvest. The man presumed that he would have many years to enjoy his prosperity, but he gave no thought to God's plans. (Count the number of times the man says "I" and "my"). When death came unexpectedly, the man's earthly riches counted for nothing. He was a "fool" because he was so absorbed in his worldly goods that he lost sight of God's treasures, which have eternal value (Mt 6:20).
TO LOVE: What are the "barns" I am building to hold my earthly treasures?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, you are more precious than any wealth I might possess.
Monday 21 October 2019
Romans 4:20-25. Luke 1:69-75. Luke 12:13-21.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, he has come to his people –
Luke 1:69-75
‘One’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions’
Following Jesus means living counter-culturally. Everywhere
there are advertisements telling us we need bigger, better, newer possessions.
But Jesus tells us, quite bluntly, that those of us with ample goods could be
rich fools.
We cannot love both God and our possessions. We cannot eat,
drink and be merry while our neighbours are hungry and cold. If we do not share
what we have, we become spiritually impoverished. We need to guard against our
greed and reject the false promises of our consumer society.
Christ my brother, be for me my sure foundation, my rock in whom
I can trust. When I feel compelled to place my hope in possessions and material
signs of prosperity, renew the sense of call I feel, and prepare me to take
time alone with you. Send me out as your disciple, strengthened and renewed by
your abiding presence.
Saint Hilarion
Saint of the Day for October 21
(c. 291 – 371)
 |
| Saint-Hilarion Church, Church place in Saint-Hilarion, France | photo by Lionel Allorge |
Saint Hilarion’s Story
Despite his best efforts to live in prayer and solitude, today’s
saint found it difficult to achieve his deepest desire. People were naturally
drawn to Hilarion as a source of spiritual wisdom and peace. He had reached
such fame by the time of his death that his body had to be secretly removed so
that a shrine would not be built in his honor. Instead, he was buried in his
home village.
Saint Hilarion the Great, as he is sometimes called, was
born in Palestine. After his conversion to Christianity, he spent some time
with Saint Anthony of Egypt, another holy man drawn to solitude. Hilarion
lived a life of hardship and simplicity in the desert, where he also
experienced spiritual dryness that included temptations to despair. At the same
time, miracles were attributed to him.
As his fame grew, a small group of disciples wanted to follow
Hilarion. He began a series of journeys to find a place where he could live
away from the world. He finally settled on Cyprus, where he died in 371 at
about age 80.
Hilarion is celebrated as the founder of monasticism in
Palestine. Much of his fame flows from the biography of him written by
Saint Jerome.
Reflection
We can learn the value of solitude from Saint Hilarion.
Unlike loneliness, solitude is a positive condition in which we are alone with
God. In today’s busy and noisy world, we could all use a little solitude.
Lectio Divina: Luke 12:13-21
Lectio Divina
Monday, October 21, 2019
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Almighty and everlasting God,
our source of power and inspiration,
give us strength and joy
in serving you as followers of Christ,
who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
our source of power and inspiration,
give us strength and joy
in serving you as followers of Christ,
who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Luke 12: 13-21
A man in the crowd said to him, 'Master, tell my brother to give
me a share of our inheritance.' He said to him, 'My friend, who appointed me
your judge, or the arbitrator of your claims?' Then He said to them, 'Watch,
and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for life does not consist in
possessions, even when someone has more than he needs.'
Then He told them a parable, 'There was once a rich man who,
having had a good harvest from his land, thought to himself, "What am I to
do? I have not enough room to store my crops." Then he said, "This is
what I will do: I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and store all
my grain and my goods in them, and I will say to my soul: My soul, you have
plenty of good things laid by for many years to come; take things easy, eat,
drink, have a good time." But God said to him, "Fool! This very night
the demand will be made for your soul; and this hoard of yours, whose will it
be then?" So it is when someone stores up treasure for himself instead of
becoming rich in the sight of God.'
3) Reflection
● The episode in today’s gospel is found only in the Gospel of
Luke and does not have a parallel in the other Gospels. It forms part of the
long description of Jesus’ trip from Galilee to Jerusalem (Lk 9: 51 to
19: 28) in which Luke places most of the information which he collected
concerning Jesus which is not found in the other three Gospels (cf. Lk
1: 2-3). The gospel today gives the response of Jesus to the person who
asked Him to be the mediator in the distribution of an inheritance.
● Luke 12: 13: A request to distribute an
inheritance. “One from the crowd told Jesus: Master, tell my brother to give me
a share of our inheritance”. Up until today, the distribution of an
inheritance among the living relatives is always a delicate question and, many times,
it is the occasion of disputes and of tensions without end. At that time, the
inheritance also had something to do with the identity of the person (1 K
21: 1-3) and with survival (Num 27:1-11; 36:1-12). The greatest problem
was the distribution of the land among the sons of the deceased father. If the
family was numerous, there was a danger that the inheritance would be divided
into small pieces of land which would not have guaranteed survival of all. For
this reason, in order to avoid the breaking up or disintegration of the
inheritance and to carry on the name of the family, the firstborn or eldest
received double of what the other sons received (Dt 21:17. cf. 2Rs 2: 11).
● Luke 12: 14-15: Response of Jesus: attention to
greed, to cupidity. “Jesus answers: My friend, who appointed me your judge or
the arbitrator of your claims?” In the response of Jesus appears the
knowledge which He has of His mission. Jesus does not feel sent by God to
respond to the request to be arbitrator between the relatives who argue or
quarrel among themselves concerning the distribution of the inheritance. But
the request of this man leads Him to the mission to orientate persons,
because “Watch, and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for
life does not consist in possessions, even when someone has more than he
needs”. It was part of his mission to clarify the sense of life. The
value of life does not consist in having many things, but rather in being rich
for God (Lk 12: 21). Because when gain occupies the heart, it does not
know how to distribute the inheritance in an equitable way and with peace.
● Luke 12: 16-19: The parable that makes one think
on the sense of life. Then Jesus told a parable to help persons to
reflect on the sense of life: “There was a rich man who having had a good
harvest from his land, thought to himself: What am I to do? I have not enough
room to store my crops”. The rich man was very obsessed by the concern of his
goods which had increased in an unforeseen way because of an abundant harvest. He
thinks only of accumulating in order to guarantee a life without worries. He
says: This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones,
and store all my grain and my goods in them and I will say to my soul: My soul,
now you have plenty of good things laid for many years to come, take things
easy, eat, drink, have a good time”.
● Luke 12: 20: The first conclusion of the parable.
“But God said to him: ‘Fool! This very night the demand will be made for your
soul, and this hoard of yours, whose will it be then?” So it is when someone
stores up treasures for himself instead of becoming rich in the sight of
God”. Death is an important key to discovering the true sense of life.
It makes all things relative, because it shows what perishes and what remains.
Anyone who only seeks to have, and forgets to be, loses everything at the hour
of death. Here we have a thought which appears very frequently in the books of
wisdom: Why accumulate great quantities of goods in this life if you do not
know what will become of themand if you do not know what the heirs will do with
what you will leave them. (Qo 2: 12.18-19. 21).
● Luke 12: 21: second conclusion of the parable.
“So it is with someone who stores up treasures for himself instead of becoming
rich in the sight of God”. How can one become rich for God? Jesus
gives several suggestions and advice: Anyone who wants to be first, let him be
last (Mt 20: 27; Mk 9: 35; 10: 44); it is better to give than to
receive (Ac 20: 35); the greatest is the smallest (Mt 18: 4;
23: 11; Lk 9: 48) he/she who loses his/her life will save it (Mt
10: 39; 16: 25; Mk 8: 35; Lk 9: 24).
4) Personal questions
● The man asked Jesus to help Him in the distribution of his
inheritance. And you, what do you ask Jesus in your prayer?
● Consumerism creates needs and awakens in us the desire of gaining. What do you do so as not to be a victim of gain brought about by consumerism?
● Consumerism creates needs and awakens in us the desire of gaining. What do you do so as not to be a victim of gain brought about by consumerism?
5) Concluding prayer
Acclaim Yahweh, all the earth,
serve Yahweh with gladness,
come into his presence with songs of joy! (Ps 100: 1-2)
serve Yahweh with gladness,
come into his presence with songs of joy! (Ps 100: 1-2)
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