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Page Four — August 4, 2013
Scripture Reflections for
EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY
IN ORDINARY TIME
LIVING
the
WORD
Sunday,
August 4, 2013
TODAY'S FOCUS: LASTING RICHES
Our readings begin with anxiety and worry.
Qoheleth ("Teacher") announces that everything in
life is futile, transitory, empty. The psalm reminds us
that we all go back to dust. But, the Gospel offers
hope. Within Jesus' words is a call to discover where
our real treasure is, reinforced by the reading from
Colossians.
• FIRST READING
What profit comes to a man from all his toil?
(Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23)
The theme developed in this reading and the Gospel is the
futility of seeking after riches. One might think that riches
will bring one security, but they do not. This is taken from
the writings of Qoheleth. We do not know his real name
or symbolic (for it means "preacher" or "teacher" in
Hebrew). This is a wisdom book that rejects much of the
commonly accepted opinions of the era in which it was
written. The author argues that God's ways are
unknowable, so we should live a virtuous life and do the
best we can.
• SECOND READING
Seek what is above, where Christ is (Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11).
We are reminded that when we became Christians, we
had to reject certain practices that we might have done
before. We have died to those old ways, and we must live
in Christ. This does not mean that we have to become
prudish and reject the goodness of the created world.
Rather, we must temper our passions so that they do not
cause us to misuse the good things of the world. We must
reject immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and
greed. We must make moral choices, even if it costs us
dearly. Finally, we must keep our minds on what is above.
Saint Anthony Catholic Church
In other words, by thinking about God and the saints, we
will be able to keep our everyday life in perspective and
we will have the strength to choose what is good and
moral and loving.
• GOSPEL
The things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?
(Luke 12:13-21)
The poor and the weak are presented as the chosen of
God. The rich are all too often self-sufficient, so when
Jesus comes into their lives, they feel as if they do not
really need Him. The poor, on the other hand, know that
they therefore reach out to the Lord with all their
strength. The brother at the beginning of this passage
wants to use Jesus to promote his cause. He does not
want to listen to Jesus or change his ways; he wants
everyone else to do that. Jesus challenges him by refusing
to go along with his project. He warns him that his entire
premise is foolish, for he is seeking security in things that
are passing and fragile. One should remember that
"riches" are not only material possessions. As we will
hear in the "Alleluia Verse", one should be poor in spirit
(and not arrogant or self-righteous), lest we begin to
think that we do not constantly need the strength and
love of God.
• REFLECTION
What are your three major worries? What gets you
tossing and turning at night? Money? Family? The future?
Work? Then the book of Ecclesiastes is for you. There is
some comfort in its world-weary wisdom. All is passing—
life, love, property, worries. What good does it do to
worry yourself to death? Death will come soon enough
when God turns us all back to dust (that's a little of the
psalmist thrown in, for further emphasis). Now, into the
week! Thank God for Jesus. He certainly is a wise teacher
in the Gospel, side-stepping a request to get involved in
family bickering over an inheritance. His work was about
getting people into the kingdom, not getting people to
share the family gold. Even so, Jesus draws a lesson from
this situation for the crowd: Avoid greed. Don't reduce
your life to what you accumulate. To bring it home, he
tells about a rich man so sure he is going to be around
tomorrow that he plans on stockpiling all his goods for
himself so he can "rest, eat, drink and be merry" for the
rest of his days. But God has other plans for him. Jesus'
wisdom: Be rich in what matters to God. Colossians
agrees: Think of what is above, of Christ at God's right
hand, of the glory that awaits you. Make Christ your
above all and God your treasure. Remember that the goal
is transformation, not accumulation. So, put on that new
self; put on Christ.
READINGS FOR THE WEEK
Monday, August 5
Nm 11:4b-15
Mt 14:13-21
Tuesday, August 6
Dn 7:9-10, 13-14
2 Pt 1:16-19
Lk 9:28b-36
Wednesday, August 7
Nm 13:1-2, 25—14:1,
26-29a, 34-35; Mt
15:21-28
Thursday, August 8
Nm 20:1-13
Mt 16:13-23
Friday, August 9
Dt 4:32-40
Mt 16:24-28