First Reading: (Ephesians 2:1–10)
Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 100:1–5)
The Lord made us; we belong to Him.
Alleluia
Matthew 5:3
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Gospel: (Luke 12:13–21)
Reflection
The Mass today's readings help us look at two gifts that the Lord has given us. First, the gift of life. When we begin reading the Bible, we see that God is creating. The first teaching we receive is that God created us to have a relationship with Him. In the Book of Genesis, we see God's creation.
In fact, when we got up this morning, the first gift we received from the Lord was a brand-new day.
God gives us life so that we may have a relationship with Him. It is always interesting when we talk about living in the present, because the present itself is a gift. Every day we have is a gift from God. The first thing we must acknowledge is that our very life is a gift God gives us.
The second gift we see in today's readings is the gift of redemption, the gift of salvation. God created us to be in a relationship with Him.
Then we find the story of Adam and Eve in the garden. God tells them not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, warning them that they will die if they do. The devil comes onto the scene and asks, “What did God say?” They explain that God told them not to eat from that tree, otherwise they would die. The devil responds, “You are not going to die. You will be just like God.”
To be just like God? That does not sound like a bad proposition. So they ate from the tree, and what God had said came to fruition. Death came upon them.
Because of that original sin, humanity fell into sin and death. What is fascinating is that in the first reading in Genesis, God promises to send a Savior. That is remarkable. God does not need us. He is complete within Himself, but He desires a relationship with us.
God created us for a relationship. We broke that relationship, but God still wanted us to be united with Him. Therefore, God promised to send us a Savior.
We know that God loved the world so much that He sent His only begotten Son. Jesus became a man like us in all things except sin. He paid the price of our salvation by going to the Cross and offering Himself for us. He died, was buried, and on the third day rose bodily from the dead, demonstrating His victory over the powers of sin and death.
As the first reading from Ephesians tells us, our salvation is a gift.
We do not earn it. We do not deserve it. It is a pure gift that God has given us. What we must do is receive that gift.
Think of it this way: the Lord says, “Here is salvation.” We must open our hands to receive it. We can think of those two hands as representing the Lord's commandments: love God and love your neighbor.
By living this way of life, we receive the gift of salvation. Salvation is offered to us because of what Jesus has done. Our response is to accept that gift by living a life of love for God and love for our neighbor.
Let us return to today's Gospel. The man has a great harvest, but what does he do? He says, “I have so much food that my barns are not big enough. I have to build larger barns. Then I can sit, eat, drink, and be merry.”
He is doing the opposite of receiving the gift of salvation. We might think he would be thankful to God for his abundance, but he does not give a single thought to thanking God for his gifts. We might also expect him to share his abundance with those around him who are in need.
Instead, he focuses entirely on himself. He is not living a life of loving God and loving his neighbor. His possessions have become the center of his life, and he fails to recognize that his blessings come from God.
The parable reminds us that material abundance cannot guarantee the future. The rich man has plans for many years, but he does not control the length of his life. His possessions cannot save him, and his wealth cannot secure his eternal destiny.
Jesus calls us to become rich in what matters to God.
When we look at today's Scripture readings, we see that God is abundant in His blessings toward us. It is good for us to pause every day and give thanks to God for the many gifts and blessings we have received: the gift of life and the gift of salvation.
We can respond to these gifts by living according to God's way, loving Him, loving our neighbors, sharing what we have, and remaining faithful as we continue our journey toward the Kingdom.
May we never take the gift of life for granted or become so attached to material possessions that we forget the God who gives us everything. Instead, may our lives reflect gratitude, generosity, faith, and love.
God bless you.
Amen.
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