Give

Today’s Gospel Text:  One of the multitude said to him, "Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me." 14 But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or divider over you?" 15 And he said to them, "Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." 16 And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; 17 and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' 18 And he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.' 20 But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' 21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." Luke 12:13-21

Reflection: It is in the very nature of man to produce treasures through the primary use of his faculties and gifts which God has blessed him with.

The scriptures are never against producing treasures and even enjoying the fruits thereof, if done in the right manner and with due respect for the laws of God which is even manifested in nature.

In fact man reaches his full maturity or potential when he is legitimately involved with the created world, with his abilities and talents, in union with God.

But when ambition, greed, envy and lusts take over than this activity turns to competition and accumulation.

Be it the accumulation of fame, power, wealth, knowledge and human resources these can lead humans into to ever deeper pits of a non gratified state.  

It only leads to an increased greed to have and posses; the more one has the more one seeks to possess and the cycle rarely ends.

At the same time the deep desire in the human heart to fill that vacuum which makes him seek and want to can never be satisfied by things which does not promote his own good in keeping with his nature.

Just as one can’t fully do justice to the self by living on junk food nor can you cover yourself completely with fig leaves similarly human nature cannot live up to its full potential by any worldly possessions.

Yet every human being is guilty of this sin of possessing more than what he or she requires, with some the gravity of this sin far exceeds the limits of sanity.

Since the desire exists in every human being it cannot be suppressed because to have is in the very nature of man and this is where Jesus fill the need by his total giving for us on the cross.

We are called to seek this Jesus who not only satisfies us but also helps us to be more generous in our giving and thus prove our faith in his providence.

Prayer:  One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. Ps 27:4

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Where is your Heart?

Today’s Gospel Text: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light; 23 but if your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! Matt 6:19-23

Reflection: Oh! The human heart! In the physical sense, who can move it except through surgery or by accident and yet, all things are possible with the human heart.

The heart can move with compassion

The heart could be moved with pity

The heart could be gripped by fear

The heart could be become hardened and stony

The heart could skip a beat in moments of shock, surprises or excitement

The heart loves and can ache

The heart can be in great pain over the loss of a loved one

O the power of the human heart, which is the seat of every emotion; it is able to move and work not just physically but also emotionally.

One of the qualities of the human heart that can be detrimental for our salvation is that of possessing things and even accumulating or hoarding.

We do that because we feel that we will be able to make much out of life or do it for the sake of security which we feel when we hoard things.

It is these very thing that Jesus is warning us against, concerning hoarding of treasures: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (vs. 21)

Our hearts sometimes can be so set on treasures that we may even forget every aspect of human relationships. 

The worse is when that treasure has been earned by us through hard work, then we feel that we have every right to it, even forgetting God who has given us the ability to earn.  (cfr. Dt. 8:18)

On the other hand, a man can have the abundance of wealth and riches without having his heart set on them, though it is rare. But God can make what is impossible with man possible with his help (cfr. Mt. 19:26, Mk.10:27, Lk. 18:27)   

Prayer:  “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments!  Wealth and riches are in his house; and his righteousness endures forever. Ps 112: 1, 3

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us