I call to you, O my God, because you hear me; incline your ear and hear me! Protect me like the apple of your eye, and shelter me under the shadow of your wings (Ps 16:6, 8).

 

I call to you, O my God, because you hear me; incline your ear and hear me! Protect me like the apple of your eye, and shelter me under the shadow of your wings (Ps 16:6, 8).

Convinced that “we were created in Christ Jesus for good works,” we receive from the liturgy the invitation to continue steadfastly on the Christian journey, learning from the Master’s teachings to live detached from the goods of this world. Let us celebrate with faith, certain that “God is rich in mercy.” First Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10 A reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians – Brothers and sisters, 1you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the god of this world, the prince who reigns between heaven and earth, the spirit who is now at work in the rebellious. 3We were all of them. We once indulged the passions of the flesh, gratifying its desires and following its whims, and were by nature, like the rest, children of wrath. 4But God is rich in mercy. Because of his great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead in our trespasses, he made us alive with Christ. It is by grace you have been saved. 6He raised us up with Christ and seated us in the heavenly places in union with Jesus Christ. 7In the coming ages, through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus, God was pleased to show the incomparable riches of his grace. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith; and this is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God. 9Not by works, so that no one may boast. 10For he made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. – The word of the Lord. Responsorial Psalm: 99(100) The Lord himself made us, and we are his. 1. Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve him with gladness, / come to him with singing! – R. 2. Know that the Lord, he alone, is God; he made us, and we are his, / we are his people and his flock. – R. 3. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, / and his courts with praise; / give thanks to him, and bless his name! – R. 4. The Lord our God is good; his goodness endures forever, / his love endures forever! – R. Gospel: Luke 12:13-21 Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Blessed are the poor in spirit, / for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Mt 5:3). – R. A reading from the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Luke – At that time, 13someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14Jesus answered, “Man, who appointed me to judge or to divide your property?” 15And he said to them, “Watch out! Beware of all kinds of greed, for even if a person has many possessions, life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” 16And he told them a parable: “The land of a certain rich man produced an abundant harvest. 17He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18So he said to himself, ‘I know what to do! I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and in them I will store all my grain, along with my possessions. 19Then I will be able to say to myself, ‘My dear friend, you have stored up enough for many years. Take it easy, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!’ 20But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night they will demand your life back from you. And whose will be the wealth you have stored up?’ 21So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.” – Word of salvation. Reflection: Jesus refers to greed for money, but there are other types of greed: for fame, for power, for pleasure… All of Jesus’ preaching values ​​selflessness, detachment from material goods, and warns about the danger of trusting in earthly riches: “Beware! Avoid all kinds of greed”; “Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The generous benefactor is the Samaritan who invests time, attention and money to help the wounded man on the side of the road (cf. Lk 10:25-37). The parable portrays a greedy man who talks to himself, planning how to increase his possessions and profits. A temptation of all times. Accounts abroad are a way of investing the exorbitant sum of money! We must not forget that life is unique and brief on earth. It is better to be “rich toward God.”