Monday of the 29th Sunday of the Ordinary Time, Year A. My Money, My Sweat, but Where is God in my life?

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us a parable about a rich man whose land produces an abundant harvest .Instead of thanking God and thinking about how to help others, the man decides to build bigger barns to store his wealth. He tells himself that he has enough for many years and can now relax,eat, drink, and enjoy life.

But God says to him, “You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you.”

This Gospel teaches us a very important lesson: we must not spend our entire lives accumulating things while forgetting the God who gives us life.

The rich man in the parable was not condemned simply because he was wealthy. His problem was that he placed his security in his possessions and forgot God and his neighbors.

Everything in his plan revolved around himself. He thought about his crops, his barns, his goods,andhis future, but he never considered the needs of the poor.

We can easily fall into the same trap. We work hard to acquire houses, cars, money, and other possessions.These things are not evil in themselves. The problem begins when they become more important than our relationship with God and our responsibility toward others.

Jesus reminds us: “One’s life does not consist of possessions.”

We should therefore ask ourselves: Am I using what I have to serve God and others, or am I living only for myself?

The rich man planned to enjoy life in the future. He believed he had many years ahead of him, but he did not know what the next day would bring.

How often do we say, “When I have enough money, I will help the poor. When I retire, I will have more time for God. When things become easier, I will forgive that person.”

But tomorrow is not guaranteed.

Today is the time to love, forgive, share, pray, and serve. A kind word, a visit to a sick person, a meal give to someone who is hungry, or assistance offered to a struggling family may seem small, but these acts are precious in the sight of God.

Let us not wait until we have everything before we begin to do good. God does not ask us to possess everything; he asks us to be faithful with what we have.

Today, Jesus invites us to examine our priorities.

Have a wonderful week

About the Author

My name is Fr. Peter Eke, a priest of the Diocese of Gaylord, Michigan. I was called to the Catholic priesthood in July 19th, 1997. I studied Canon Law at the Pontifical Lateran University, in Rome, Italy, with JCL Degree in 2001 and JCD (doctorate) Degree in 2003. Currently, I am the pastor of Saint Francis Xavier Parish in Petoskey, Michigan. I am also a Judge at the Marriage Tribunal in my Diocese. In my free time, I love reading, listening to music, and taking a long walk. Since my ordination my inspiring message has been “with God the oil in the flask will not dry” (1Kings 17:14).

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8 Comments

  1. Fr. Peter,
    Whatever happened to the Sunday reflections?? We don’t get to see them anymore. Hmmm.?
    We only see your reflection immediately after the Saturday ones…

  2. Father Peter,
    I so appreciate your reflections! You explain the gospel in a very clear and relatable way and give us practical ways to make the gospel come alive in our daily lives.

  3. Thanks Father. We always appreciate your thoughts and reflections to start the week. Peace be with you my brother.

  4. You hit the nail on the head Fr. Our lives could be so much simpler if we only found our purpose to do God’s will. Struggling with life only makes things harder, I pray for peace, love and happiness for everyone. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts it means a lot! God bless!🕊️

  5. Thank you Father Peter.Your reflections are inspiring and as others have said,offer practical advice on how to live out our faith.Have a blessed week 🙏🏻

  6. How true. I will keep your reflection as a reminder and refer to it often. Thank you, Father.

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