＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

 Romans 4: 20-25

He did not doubt nor did he distrust the promise of God,

and by being strong in faith, he gave glory to God:   he was convinced that He who had given the promise had power to fulfill it.

This was taken into account for him to attain righteousness.   This was taken into account: these words of Scripture are not only for him,   but for us, too, because we believe in Him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from among the dead,   he who was delivered for our sins and raised to life for us to receive true righteousness.

 

LK  1 69-70,  71-72, 73-75   Blessed be the Lork, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.

 

＊＊＊＊ 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：

“FOR EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE MANY POSSESSIONS, IT IS NOT THAT WHICH GIVES YOU LIFE.”

In November 2015, a rumored reflection of Apple’s Steve Jobs about his life, who passed away in 2011, circulated. Although found to be not Job’s the words it contains are amazingly thought provoking:” I reached the pinnacle of success in the business world. In other’s eyes, my life is an epitome of success. However, aside from work, I have little joy.

In the end, wealth is only a fact of life that I am accustomed to. At this moment, lying on the sick bed and recalling my whole life, I realize that all the recognition and wealth that I took so much pride in, have paled and become meaningless in the face of impending death…. Non-stop pursuing of wealth will only turn a person into a twisted being, just like me.”

It is a fact of life that man desires security in life. We pursue things to give that sense of guarantee that we have positioned a better future for ourselves. But things can go awry when our attention gains momentum in focusing only on material possessions. This can make us blind, twisted according to the essay, oblivious of things that truly matter. Yes, we can be rich in this life but let us not lose sight of the after-life.