“Take care to guard against all greed” (Luke 12:15; from today’s gospel.) The text uses two verbs (horate & phylassesthe) in the present tense imperatives, i.e., continual action, in other words “continually take care” and “continually guard yourself from.” Perhaps this is a Lucan warning that the human condition is akin to alcoholics and their desire for alcohol, we are never cured of our greediness. We are always in recovery; always in need to watch out for and to guard ourselves from this evil power in our lives. Continue reading
Tag Archives: greed
What satisfies
You may or may not have noticed, but I am not around this weekend. I am at the beach…sort of. This weekend, as we receive and welcome Father Ricky Bermas of the Diocese of Legazpi in the Philippines for our part in the Diocesan Mission Cooperative, St. Jerome’s of Largo is receiving me on behalf of Franciscan Mission Service (FMS).
FMS sends lay people on modern mission. As Franciscan followers of Christ, they build partnerships with Catholic women and men who are inspired to live and serve in solidarity with economically poor communities across the globe – and to bring the transformative experience of mission to North American societies and churches as advocates for peace, justice, reconciliation, and care of creation. Back in the day, I served with FMS in Kenya. Continue reading
One’s life does not consist of possessions
18th Sunday of Ordinary Time: Luke 12:13-21
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.” 14 He replied to him, “Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?” 15 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.” 16 Then he told them a parable. “There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. 17 He asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?’ 18 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 19 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!” 20 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?’ 21 Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.” Continue reading