Homily for Monday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time

Our Gospel today may seem to be speaking against wealth, but one can argue that God does not have a problem with our being successful. The psalmist of old often prayed that God would "prosper the work of our hands."

 

We know from the words of Jesus that we should use our wealth, the gifts that we have, the prosperous work of our hands, and do something positive with them for others' good.

       

We live in a society where people are overflowing with possessions, schedules, and empty busyness; many are overwhelmed with pursuing more and building larger "barns" to store more. To be people of faith, to be real disciples of the Gospel Jesus, begins with emptying ourselves of our stuff and our busyness to create a place and a time for God to dwell and fill. The most tragic kind of poverty is the emptiness of a life filled with things but possessing nothing of God.

 

Christ calls us to "think of what is above" — love, forgiveness, compassion, mercy, and gratitude. God has given us this priceless, wonderful life to embrace and be embraced by His selfless and affirming love, to discover how to love one another as God loves us. +