The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/101915.cfm) reminds me that we also need to store up treasure in heaven.
In life, a lot of things keep us busy. For those who are starting, we do our best to make ends meet. Then when things have settled down, we want to be able to save a little. Then as we progress in the corporate ladder or business, we set bigger goals, we have bigger dreams, and we want to save more so we can have more. Then it goes on and on. Before we know it, we are trapped in the rat race of working hard and wanting more. Jesus today tells us to take a look at our lives.
Our lives should be bigger than the worldly goals we set.
Our goals and dreams never end. As we achieve them, we have newer, bigger ones. Working hard and doing our best to achieve these things are good, but our lives should not just revolve around these things. In the gospel, Jesus tells us that anytime, our lives can be taken away from us. anytime. Just as God gives, he can take away. And if we are too focused on worldly things – things that can be taken away from us and things we cannot bring where we are going when we die, then our lives in this world is senseless.
God is not saying we should not work for worldly things. God is not saying we should not work hard. We should. But our lives should not revolve around these things. God wants us to also work for eternity. God also wants us to prepare for the next life. How we live this temporary life on earth determines what will happen to us in eternity. If we live like there is nothing after death, if we live just focused on the world, then we are telling God we do not want to spend eternity with him after we die. However, if we live right, if we work hard to have more, and share these with others to glorify God, if we do our best in all aspects of our lives to please God, if we help others in whatever way we can to make God’s love more real and more alive, if we read the bible and pray so as to get to know Him more, then we are telling him that we really want to spend eternity with him. By doing these things, we do not only store treasure on earth that we cannot take when we die, rather we are storing up treasure in heaven. Doing good in this world for God’s glory is like us slowly sending treasures in heaven and us preparing a place with him in eternity.
As we start the week, may we never lose our focus and remember what is really important in life.
Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. thank you for another chance to love and serve you. thank you for the weekend. And thank you for another week ahead. Lord, I ask that you be with me in a special way as I start the week. I ask that you remind me of what is important in this life. Help me do my best for you, help me achieve a lot of things not for myself, but for your glory. Give me blessings more than I need, not just for myself and my family, but so that I can share it with others in my own little way. use me to make your love more alive in this world. Help me and guide me in storing up treasure in heaven. Amen.
Blessed week!
In Christ,
-g-
October 19, 2015
Memorial of Saints John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions, Martyrs
Lectionary: 473
Lectionary: 473
Reading 1 Rom 4:20-25
Brothers and sisters:
Abraham did not doubt God’s promise in unbelief;
rather, he was empowered by faith and gave glory to God
and was fully convinced that what God had promised
he was also able to do.
That is why it was credited to him as righteousness.
But it was not for him alone that it was written
that it was credited to him;
it was also for us, to whom it will be credited,
who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
who was handed over for our transgressions
and was raised for our justification.
Abraham did not doubt God’s promise in unbelief;
rather, he was empowered by faith and gave glory to God
and was fully convinced that what God had promised
he was also able to do.
That is why it was credited to him as righteousness.
But it was not for him alone that it was written
that it was credited to him;
it was also for us, to whom it will be credited,
who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
who was handed over for our transgressions
and was raised for our justification.
Responsorial Psalm Luke 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75
R. (see 68) Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
He has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
He has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
Alleluia Mt 5:3
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Lk 12:13-21
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 the one who stores up treasure for himself
but is not rich in what matters to God
“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 the one who stores up treasure for himself
but is not rich in what matters to God
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