Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

08-04-2019Weekly Reflection©2019 Liturgical Publications, Inc.

The cake is frosted, the guests have arrived, and the gifts are piled high. One by one, the packages are opened, and one by one, the child reaches for another. Who among us hasn't seen a child who appears crestfallen when the gifts run out? Even the abundance isn't quite enough. Today's Gospel tackles a key question in the spiritual life - grateful or greedy?

"There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest." We all recognize the need to be practical. Raising a family, there's need to save for all sorts of things beyond normal day-to-day costs - medical bills, family vacations, private school, rainy day funds, retirement. Jesus doesn't critique the rich man for simply having an abundant harvest. It's his mentality. Does the rich man sell off the extra to make the needed repairs to the back fence or to invest in some additional livestock to grow the business? Perhaps donate some of the excess to the poor? No. "You have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!" The man wants to hoard and indulge with no concern for others.

Jesus doesn't condemn prudent saving or owning necessary items. He calls us to purify our attitudes. "Guard against all greed... one's life does not consist of possessions." We are called to be good stewards. This means being practical. It also means remaining open to God's invitation with our resources. Are we tithing to our parish? Do we give alms to the poor? Does our weekly entertainment far outstrip what we offer to others? Life is not about "stor[ing] up treasure for [our]selves." The more we grow in gratitude and generosity, the more we become "rich in what matters to God."

18° Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario

Seguimos avanzando en la enseñanza del Evangelio de Lucas. Poco a poco nos lleva hacia Jerusalén y Jesús proclama el Reino de Dios con sus enseñanzas y curaciones. Vale que recordemos la frase tan repetida en muchas ocasiones para nosotros: "Donde está tu tesoro, allí estará también tu corazón." (Lucas 12:34). La vida no nos impide el poseer, sino el no saber compartir lo que Dios, con su infinita misericordia, nos da por medio de nuestro trabajo cotidiano. A lo largo de la existencia, esta ha sido la lucha del ser humano que acumula tanto que no haya donde ponerlo. Hace planes, proyectos y sueños pensando que vivirá en esta tierra para siempre. Sin embargo, no es así. Mira lo que dice el ejemplo de este domingo: "¡Pobre loco! Esta misma noche te reclaman tu alma. ¿Quién se quedará con lo que has preparado?" (Lucas 12:20).

Hoy reflexionemos en lo importante de la experiencia humana. Con el paso de los años, continuamente tenemos falsas expectativas sobre lo que es la vida. La vida es un suspiro y pasa de prisa. Por lo tanto, debemos pensar que todo lo que vivimos es pasajero y que lo verdadero es acumular para el cielo. No hay que asustarse sino proponerse al cambio girando el corazón a Dios. El reto es ser rico en lo que vale a los ojos de Dios. ¿Cómo? Bueno, comenzando con algo simple: trabajar con honradez, no hacer trampas, ser fieles, tender la mano al que lo necesita sin esperar recompensa por todo. La participación en la Eucaristía nos abre la mente a lo verdadero, que es la sabiduría revelada por Dios.

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