Gospel Reading: Luke 12:13-21
The things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?
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 all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God.”
Saints’ Words:
Do you have wealth? It is a good thing. But only if your use of it is good. You will not be able to make good use of it if you are evil: wealth is an evil for the evil, a good for the good. Not that it is a good in the sense that is makes you good, but it is converted into good when it is in the hands of the good.
--Augustine, sermon
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus! Give us Your Holy Spirit, to live in us forever, and thus bless us with eternal life. Let Your Holy Spirit Love through us, a perfect unselfish Holy Love; so that we lay down all worldly ambitions, give up our wills, and do Your Holy Will. Take our thoughts away from attempting to amass money. Take our desire away from seeking worldly wealth or fame. Take our eyes away from looking on vain worldly appearances. Keep our thoughts on doing Your Holy will, not on seeking worldly material things, or vain worldly status.
We give You our lives, do with us as You Will. Make our lives useful to Your service. The only ambition we have is to humbly, and honestly do Your Will. We want to lift up Your Name Jesus, not our names. We want to make known the power of Your Holy Spirit, Jesus. We want You to claim us for Yourself, and use us according to Your Divine purpose. And no matter the job or task that You assign to us, we will be contented, and full of Joy, to do Your Holy Will, Jesus. In Your Holy Spirit, Jesus, we pray. Amen.
