＊＊＊1st Reading＊＊＊

Ecclesiastes 1: 2; 2: 21-23

All is meaningless – says the Teacher – meaningless, meaningless!

 For here was a man who toiled in all wisdom, knowledge and skill and he must leave all to someone who has not worked for it. This is meaningless and a great misfortune.  For what profit is there for a man in all his work and heart-searching under the sun?  All his days bring sorrow, his work grief; he hasn’t, moreover, peaceful rest at night: that too is meaningless.

 

＊＊＊2nd Reading ＊＊＊

Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11

So then, if you are risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on the things that are above, not on earthly things. For you have died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is your life, reveals himself, you also will be revealed with him in Glory.

Therefore, put to death what is earthly in your life, that is immorality, impurity, inordinate passions, wicked desires and greed which is a way of worshiping idols.

 Do not lie to one another. You have been stripped of the old self and its way of thinking  to put on the new, which is being renewed and is to reach perfect knowledge and the likeness of its creator.  There is no room for distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised. barbarians, foreigner, slave and free, but Christ is all and is in all.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Luke 12: 13-21

Someone in the crowd spoke to Jesus, “Master, tell my brother to share with me the family inheritance.”  He replied, “My friend, who has appointed me as your judge or your attorney?”  Then Jesus said to the people, “Be on your guard and avoid every kind of greed, for even though you have many possessions, it is not that which gives you life.”

And Jesus continued “There was a rich man and his land had produced a good harvest.   He thought: ‘What shall I do? For I am short of room to store my harvest.’ Alright, I know what I shall do: I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones to store all this grain, which is my wealth.  Then I will say to myself: My friend, you have a lot of good things put by for many years.

Rest, eat, drink and enjoy yourself.’  But God said to him: ‘You fool! This very night your life will be taken from you; tell me who shall get all you have put aside?’  This is the lot of the one who stores up riches for himself and is not wealthy in the eyes of God.”

 

Reflection gospel：

READ: Ecclesiastes declares all things as meaningless. Saint Paul writes that the Christian community in Colossae should seek and set their mind on things that are above. Jesus, in the gospel, issues an extraordinarily blunt warning regarding the accumulation of possessions, illustrated in the parable.

 REFLECT: Jesus cautions against abundant possessions. To him, they cannot be the source of life and security. Thus, they are not able to give or inspire life in the human person. The unrestricted accumulation of possessions at the expense of others arises from greed – the inclination to want more and to have more.

Whereas, greed comes from insecurity – the feeling that there is something lacking or missing, creation instability and emptiness. Greed is never satisfied to have this much or that much. It always wants some more and some more because more is not enough. Greed is a sign of insecurity and fear. (And many possessions project themselves to provide security.)

Greed and insecurity corrupt the human mind and spirit. They take us away from (the) God and prevent us from becoming instruments of God’s goodness and generosity. That is why Jesus warns of every form of greed. What then, gives us life if not many possessions? Jesus himself says he is the life and that he has come to give us life to its fullness.

PRAY: Lord Jesus, we pray that you become our true source of security, courage, strength, and inspiration. And take away our fears of the uncertainties of life.

ACT: Determine what is truly needed and give.