Read Romans 4:20-25, Luke 1, Luke 12:13-21
“But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:20-21)
To be covetous is to live in a world of “I”, “me”, and “myself”; a world where I care only for one person – me. To be covetous is to be like the rich man in the parable Jesus gave us in today’s Gospel passage, who thought only about himself in his plan to enjoy his riches.
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…” He wanted to waste what he had stored already in his barns, forgetting that so many people could not even afford it. As the Psalmist says: "In his riches, man lacks wisdom; he is like the beasts that are destroyed."
What is the cure for covetousness? It is faith in God. Trust God to provide when you are kind to others. Remember that when you give to others, you are not losing anything but storing treasures in heaven. We need strong faith to know that no one ever became poor by giving to the needy. We need faith to recognise that there is a better home for us, more precious than this earthly dwelling.
This was the type of faith Abraham had, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. By preparing for heaven that no one has ever seen, by being kind and generous to the poor even when we are not expecting to get anything back from them, we are acting like Abraham, who kept waiting for the promise of a son even at his old age.
Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, you gave your life for me, teach me to live not only for myself but for others. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Monday of week 29 in Ordinary Time, Bible Study: Romans 4:20-25, Luke 12:13-21).
@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu