Aug. 1, 2010: 18 Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus asks us to share what we have with others in need just as He shares his riches daily with us.

Jesus told this parable. “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do for I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, and be merry.’ But God said to him,‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:16-21)

What does it mean to be “rich toward God”?
It is important to think about what God wants us to do in every situation of our life.
Often we just act; we do what needs to be done. But sometimes we have a choice or choices. Rather than sharing his wealth, the rich man in today’s Gospel chose to keep it and hoard it. He thought he would have a long life to enjoy all his possessions. Unfortunately that was not to be the case. He was going to die sooner rather than later. And all his abundance would never be his to use.

Action:

How often do you share your abundance with others? Do you tend to keep what is yours even when it’s more than you need? Ask God for the gift of generosity.