_{Holy Spirit Catholic Church
Homilies}

 _{Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (c) 2010
August 8, 2010}

Wealth is often seen as a sign of God's goodness and blessing, but our First Reading from Ecclesiastes warns us of the vanity of things, and in our Second Reading Paul tells us to seek what is above and not what is on earth, for Christ is all in all.

Jesus tells good stories, but sometimes they seem almost harsh.  Today's parable of the rich man with the bountiful harvest might seem that way to us, but we need to see it from Jesus' viewpoint.  After all, those who profess they are Christian and followers of Jesus Christ look to God for their security rather than to their own wealth or ability.

This rich man has had a very good harvest, and now he is talking to himself and planning.  Yes, he sounds provident . . . I will tear down and build larger barns; I will store all my grain and goods . . . all for myself.  And then I will eat, drink, and be merry.  Doesn't he sound all full of himself and of his riches and his plans?  Is he even aware of what matters to God?

Qoheleth says, "For what profit comes to man from all the toil and anxiety of heart with which he has labored under the sun?  This is also vanity"  St. Paul puts it even more strongly: "Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly . . . the greed that is idolatry"  These are strong words for us.  After all, if we work hard and succeed, isn't that using God's gifts?  Isn't success a sign of doing things right?

Well . . . yes and no!  Success certainly can be a sign of doing things right, of using well our God-given gifts.  But why do we want success?  Is it for our own glory and honor?  So others can praise us?  So we can live better than others?  Are we greedy with our success, or are we generous?

Mother Teresa may very well be a saint, but she was also human like all of us.  She had her struggles, but she never stopped looking to God for her security.  She and her sisters lived humbly and went right into the "dark holes" where the poorest of the poor lived in India. 

She told a story once about picking up a man from a sewer, half eaten by worms, and bringing him to their home.  He said, "I have lived like an animal in the street, but I am going to die like an angel, loved and cared for"

Mother Teresa didn't say, "Yes, we are successful in saving this man for God"  Instead she admired what she called the greatness of the man who could speak like that and die without blaming anyone or cursing anyone . . . like an angel!  And then she said this is why they believe what Jesus said, "I was hungry, I was naked, I was homeless, I was unwanted, unloved, uncared for . . . and you helped me"  They see what Jesus means and they follow him!

This gives us much to think about.  God is so good to us.  In many ways we have all had some successes in using the gifts God has given us.  This is something to acknowledge and to acknowledge with gratitude.  We can all be rich in what matters to God.  We can't all go to India.  We can't all directly work with the poor.  But we can control our greed.  We can share what we have, looking to God for our security.

Mother Teresa told her sisters that the work they do is God's work and not their own work.  That is why they needed to do it well.  She said that so often we spoil God's work and try to get the glory for ourselves.  How often do we think like this?  Can we see our work as God's work too?  If we use our God-given gifts, then can't what we do give God glory?  Yes, it can!

Most of us have heard at some point in our lives that if something is worth doing, it is worth doing well.  That might be learning our spelling words, cleaning our room, delivering newspapers, scrubbing the floor, managing a business, helping a patient, selling real estate, cutting grass or being a clerk in a store.  Any human work we do can give God glory.