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!