BEWARE OF ALL COVETEOUSNESS

*“Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15)*

To be covetous is to live in a special world of I, me, and myself, where I care only for one person – me. To be covetous is to refuse to give others their due, as in the case of the man whose brother had to run to Jesus because he did not give him a share of his father’s inheritance. 

*- To be covetous is to be like the rich man in the parable Jesus gave us in today’s Gospel passage.*

 The man said: “What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops? … I will pull down my barns and build larger ones…” This man thought his life was secured by the goods he stored. He never knew his time to leave the world had come. No one knows when their time will be.

*- It is never a sin to be rich, but it is a sin to worship wealth – to live as if there is no God (ignore God’s commandments).*

 It is a sin to bow to the devil in exchange for earthly kingdoms (Mathew 4:8-10). Today, many youths are involved in money rituals (yahoo-plus). Some have exchanged the lives of their loved ones for money. Jesus would ask, “What does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Mark 8:36).   

*- What does it mean to be rich toward God?*

 It is to “seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). To be rich toward God is to remember that you belong to God. In today’s First Reading, St. Paul says: “We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.” (Ephesians 2:10). Today’s Responsorial Psalm adds: “Know that he, the Lord, is God. He made us; we belong to him. We are his people, the sheep of his flock.”

*- Jesus called this man a fool.*

 What would he have done if he were wise? 1) He would have thanked God for blessing him with such abundance. Instead of praying to God, the man prayed to his soul. “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for you…” He forgot that his prosperity was God’s gift and not merely the product of his hard work. 

*- 2) If he were wise, he would have realised he was blessed to bless others.*

 He would have factored others into his plan. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19-20).

*- Why did Jesus tell this parable to the man who had come to ask for Jesus’s intervention over an inheritance dispute?*

 To assure him that even though he had been cheated, he could still live a very long and happy life. Meanwhile, his greedy brother is like the rich man whose lands yielded abundantly but refused to consider others in his enjoyment plan. If God calls this greedy brother tonight, what becomes of the inheritance he has gathered?

*- Today begins a brand-new working week.*

 As you go out to labour for your daily bread, remember that no matter how much you gather, it will not stop you from dying when your time comes. “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Money will give you access to the best hospitals and doctors, but your life is in God’s hands. Also, remember that even if you fail to meet your targets or things do not go as planned, thank God; your life is more valuable than earthly riches.

*Let us pray:* Almighty, ever-living God, deepen our love for you. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen

*Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Monday of week 29 in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Ephesians 2:1-10, Psalm 100, Luke 12:13-21).*

Fr. Abu