Texts taken from the “On Your Word” Missal July-August 2022

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C) 
2nd week of the Psalter

FIRST READING

From the Book of Ecclesiastes (Eccl 1:2; 2:21-23)
Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, vanity of vanities: all is vanity. Someone who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and success must then leave his portion to another who has not worked for it at all. This too is vanity and a great evil. For what profit comes to a person from all his toil and anxiety of heart with which he toils under the sun? All his days are sorrow and painful distress; even at night his heart does not rest. This too is vanity! - The word of the Lord.

Commentary on the First Reading

Qoheleth's reading of the reality of human life seems truly bleak. In Hebrew, the term vanity properly refers to “smoke” or vapor. It is seen for a moment, then immediately vanishes; it is an ephemeral and insubstantial reality. All is vanity: even the most beautiful plans are destined to end, without anyone remembering them anymore. Human work is useless, because even someone who has worked competently and successfully will have to leave his possessions to another who may not have worked for them at all. Even love and pain, with which our lives are filled, are considered vanity by the sacred author. Yet, if we read the text more deeply, we can recognize an invitation to discern what it is possible to build one's life and its meaning upon in a solid rather than vain way. Rather than pessimism, Qoheleth offers a healthy realism that restores the proper hierarchy of values: he urges us not to sacrifice the quality of life to the deception of ambiguous prosperity, not to regard what is transitory as everlasting, and to welcome the small joys of everyday life as a gift.

SECOND READING

From the Letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Colossians (Col 3:1-5, 9-11)
Brothers and sisters, if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God; set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God! When Christ, your life, is revealed, then you too will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, what belongs to the earth: impurity, immorality, passions, evil desires, and the greed that is idolatry. Do not lie to one another: you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and in all. - The word of the Lord.

Commentary on the Second Reading

Saint Paul tells us not only that we must seek the things that are above, but that they must be the main focus of our thoughts. No longer the earthly things of this passing world, but the things that concern heaven, which must be the goal toward which we strive with all our strength. Through Baptism, we have died to earthly things and been reborn, risen as new creatures who long for the things that are above, that is, for life in Christ. However, this does not mean being immune to sin, so it would be foolish to underestimate this truth. Hence the need to put to death what still prevents us from living as truly risen people. It is easy to understand that the Apostle is not proposing that we flee from or escape our responsibilities; rather, his appeal is to give things their true foundation, the stable and lasting one: Jesus therefore becomes the criterion for our choices. Undoubtedly, this requires commitment and sacrifices, but the reward awaiting us is well worth every effort.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Luke (Lk 12:13-21)
At that time, someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he replied, “Friend, who appointed me as a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care and guard against all greed, for even if one is rich, one's life does not consist in possessions.” Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He reasoned with himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops? I will do this,’ he said: ‘I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. Then I will say to myself: My soul, you have many goods stored up for many years; rest, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!’ But God said to him, ‘Fool, this very night your life will be demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’ Thus it is for one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.” - The Gospel of the Lord.

Commentary on the Gospel of the Day

Through the parable, Jesus helps us understand what it means to be rich before God without storing up treasures for oneself. According to Jesus' word, there are at least two kinds of wealth. One, which is usually coveted by all people - no one excluded - nevertheless has no power to make us happy. In fact, material wealth gives us the illusion of the satisfaction we may have sought for an entire lifetime; then a single moment is enough for everything to collapse miserably. There is another kind of wealth, less conspicuous, which brings little prestige, at least from a human point of view, and for this reason very few seek or desire it. Yet those who understand its value devote all their strength to obtaining it. Once obtained, it is never lost: its fruit awaits us, and its enjoyment is eternal. Being rich before God is possible for everyone, but it requires adopting an entirely different attitude: recognizing that one's life depends on his gift and not on our possessions. In other words, life does not depend on me or on trusting in myself. It does not depend on what I possess or greedily desire, but on what I receive and gratefully accept.