Shikrot Mpwi - Sunday Synopsis
with Fr. Justine J. Dyikuk
Eighteenth Sunday of Year, C –
August 4, 2019.
Readings: Ecclesiastes 1:2,2:21-23;
Responsorial Psalm Ps 89:3-6,12-14,17; Colossians 3:1-5,9-11; Gospel Luke 12:13-21.
Theme: Being Rich in the Sight of God
Introduction
Beloved
in Christ, today’s charge of “Vanity of vanities,” by Qoheleth the preacher and
that of Jesus which invites us to be “rich in the sight of God” calls for sober
reflection. We are living in a world where some Christians behave as if they
would not die. Perhaps we have not come to terms with the reality that we live
in time and space but God exists outside time and space. What this implies is
that, we are corporeal, mortal and finite. There is a time to be born and a
time to die (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2). This is what Archbishop Gabriel Ganaka of
Blessed memory calls the “Hatch” and the “Dispatch.” The thrust of our
reflection today is that this world is transient and so we are. Therefore, our
reflection shall draw practical lessons from the warning of Qoheleth and the
story of the Rich Fool as presented by Jesus.
Background & Summary of the Readings
The
preacher, Qoheleth tells us in the first reading (Ecclesiastes 1:2,2:21-23)
that all is vanity. He maintains that even though a person labours hard through
wise, skillful and successful ways, he or she must leave that toil to someone
who has not toiled for it all. He further reveals that, apparently, the toil
and strain under the scourging sun, the laborious days, the cares of office and
restless nights of such a person amounts to great injustice. Qoheleth surmises
that these amount to vanity.
In the
second reading (Colossians 3:1-5,9-11), St. Paul urges the faithful to look for
the things that are in heaven where Christ is not on the things that are on earth.
He uses the death of Christ as a focal point for the Christian to kill
everything that is earthly: fornication, impurity, guilty passion, evil desires
and especially greed which is described as “worshipping of a false God.” He
charges that Christians should put on “a new self” which does not discriminate
but unite all.
The gospel
(Luke 12:13-21) reveals the consequences of greed. It narratives how Jesus, in
responding to man who wanted him to intervene in an inheritance tussle with his
brother, gave the parable of the Rich Fool to drive home a point about the
vanity of being fixated about material possessions. He tells how after a bumper
harvest the man in the parable thought of pulling down his store and building
bigger ones. He also said to himself: “My soul, you have plenty of good things
laid by for many years to come; take things easy, eat, drink, have a good
time.” But God decided to call him that night. At that Jesus asked, whose will
his hoard be? He then concludes: “So it is when a man stores up treasure for
himself in place of making himself rich in the sight of God.”
Four Sins of the Rich Fool
1. Pride: The first sin of the Rich Fool as deduced from the gospel text is that,
he did not acknowledge God for a bumper harvest. He attributed his plentiful
harvest to his wisdom and so, he excluded God from his future plans which were
cut short.
2. Avarice: The man was avaricious which constituted his second sin. He did not think
of the poor or needy people around him. In his plan of enjoyment, he did not
include family, friends and nieghbours. As such, his plan of enjoyment could
not see the light of day.
3. Debauchery: His third sin was the wet appetite he had for having it cool by
eating, drinking and having a good time. He had mapped out a plan for
licentiousness and a life of debauchery. Sadly, that ended as a dead wish.
4. Senselessness: Fourthly, his sin was that while he was wise in the things of the world,
he was foolish in the sight of God. If he was not “wise,” he wouldn’t have had
a bumper harvest. Although he was diligent in his toil and strain under the
sun, he was senseless in divine realities.
Practical Lessons
1. Seek Divine Wisdom: The first reading teaches us to always seek
divine wisdom which would turn our “toil, strain, cares of office and restless
nights” into moments of grace by being sensible in divine realities through being
foolish in the sight of men and wise in the sight God as the gospel indicates.
2. Attribute Everything to God: We are called upon to attribute every of our
success to God as doing that would help us to view the seeming “great
injustice” of leaving our property to others who didn’t work for it as an
opportunity to move to a new world where the material is transformed into
something indescribable.
3. Live An Impactful Life: In a world where some parents steal or kill
to amass wealth for their children, Qoheleth charges that we live impactful
lives such that our children would grow in virtue after we are gone because the
houses and cars parents think they are leaving for their children would be
obsolete tomorrow.
4. Look for the Things of Heaven: In a world where your social relevance is
measured according to your cash or coat, St. Paul urges us to look for the
things that are in heaven where Christ is not on the things that are on the
earth which are fleeting.
5. Do Not Worship a
False God: We are challenged to shun
avarice or greed which St. Paul described as “worshipping of a false God” as
that is the shortest way of compromising our faith – the love of money is the
root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10).
6. Resist the Sins of the Flesh: St. Paul insists that we kill
everything that is earthly namely, fornication, impurity, guilty passion and
evil desires by putting up “a new self” otherwise, we would not make heaven.
7. Shun Inheritance Tussle: In a country where there are rising cases of
brothers killing each other because of land or other related family inheritance
issues, we are urged to avoid bad blood about issues surrounding inheritance
because nobody would take a dime with him or he when they die.
8. Live a Balanced Life: Unlike the Rich Fool in the gospel
text who was engrossed in planning for a life of debauchery, we are to
have a balanced kind of spirituality which sees having it cool through eating,
drinking and having a good time as a way of praising God.
Homiletic Quotes to Remember
1. The preacher, Qoheleth tells us in the first reading that all is
vanity.
2. In the second reading, St. Paul
urges the faithful to look for the things that are in heaven where Christ is.
3. The gospel reveals the
consequences of greed.
4. But God decided to call him that night.
5. Be rich in the sight of God - store up treasures for yourselves in
heaven.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we are called upon to shun pride, avarice,
debauchery and a senseless attitude which makes us wise in the things of
the world and foolish in the sight of God. Like the Rich Fool, we may be proficient
and efficient in one thing or the other in life but the question is, would that
lead us to eternal life? This is why the scripture says: “Do not store up
treasures for yourselves on earth, where moth and woodworm destroy them and
thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures for yourselves in heaven,
where neither moth nor woodworm destroys them and thieves cannot break in and
steal” (Matthew 6:19-20). Therefore, make concerted efforts to be rich in the
sight of God. May God help us to store up treasures for ourselves in heaven.
Amen!