Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.”

 

Gospel Reading: Luke 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.”

 

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus tells us a parable about being greedy and coveting they neighbors goods. In this parable, a wealthy man had lots of land which produced an abundantly bountiful crop. There was so much produced that the rich man did not have enough space to store the harvest.  He decided to tear down his barns to build new ones big enough so he could store his crops for many years. And the rich man said, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!” And how does God respond to him, “You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?” When God graces us with a bountiful harvest, who does the harvest belong too? We can covet the harvest and keep it for ourselves, or we can share the harvest with others. Jesus warns us that, “Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.” Our treasure is the thing we hold dearest to our heart. Is your treasure based on earthly riches or is it based on spiritual richness? Our life should not be measured in the abundance of our possessions, but in the abundance of our giving and love for God. In the end, the only treasure we will take with us is our soul. Jesus is not upset because the man was able to produce a large crop, but that the crop became the one desire of his heart. We must avoid letting earthly treasures consume our soul. These treasures we are given are to share with others.

 

A simple prayer

 

Lord, God, I thank you for the treasures you have given me.

May I not covet these treasures but share them with those in need.

May you become the treasure which is the subject of my life.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon