Come, O God, to my aid; make haste, O Lord, to help me. You are my God, my deliverer and my helper. Do not delay to help me, O Lord! (Ps 69:2, 6)

 

Come, O God, to my aid; make haste, O Lord, to help me. You are my God, my deliverer and my helper. Do not delay to help me, O Lord! (Ps 69:2, 6)

The liturgy motivates us to implore the Lord, our refuge, for the help of his wisdom, to avoid the risks of an illusory life, guided by false securities. Willing to reconsider our choices and be new women and men in Christ, we gather to share his Body and Blood, which guarantee us access to the blessings of life in God. At this beginning of this vocational month, in the midst of the Jubilee Year, let us celebrate in communion with those called to the ordained ministry.

First Reading: Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23

“Vanity of vanities”—or “illusion of illusions”—warns us the sacred author. Against illusion and greed, the Word of God invites us to turn our hearts to the things above, where Christ is.

A reading from the book of Ecclesiastes – 2 “Vanity of vanities, says Ecclesiastes, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” 2:21 For example, a man who has worked with intelligence, skill, and success is forced to leave everything as an inheritance to another who has contributed nothing. This too is vanity and a great disgrace. 22 For what remains for a man of all the labor and care that wears him out under the sun? 23 His whole life is suffering, his occupation torment. His heart does not rest even at night. This too is vanity. – The Word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm: 89(90)

You, O Lord, have been a refuge for us.

1. You return every mortal to the dust when you say, “Return to dust, O children of Adam!” For a thousand years are like yesterday to you, like a watch in the night that has passed. – R.

2. They pass like the morning’s sleep, like the green grass in the field: in the morning it springs up and flourishes, but in the evening it is cut down and withers. – R.

3. Teach us to number our days and give us wisdom! / Return, O Lord! How long will you delay? / Have mercy and compassion on your servants! – R.

4. Satisfy us in the morning with your love, / and we will rejoice all day long! / May the goodness of the Lord our God rest upon us and guide us! / Make our work fruitful, O Lord. – R.

Second Reading: Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11

A reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Colossians – Brothers and sisters, 1if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2set your hearts on heavenly things, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, your life, appears in his triumph, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to the earth: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 9Do not lie to one another. You have put off the old self with its ways, 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in the image of its Creator in knowledge. 11There is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, uneducated, uncivilized, slave and free, but Christ is all in all. – Word of the Lord.

Gospel: Luke 12:13-21

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, / for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Mt 5:3). – R.

A reading from the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Luke – At that time, 13someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14Jesus answered, “Man, who appointed me to judge or to divide your property?” 15And he said to them, “Watch out! Beware of all kinds of greed, for even if a person has many things, life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” 16And he told them a parable: “The land of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18Then he decided, ‘I know what to do! I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones; I will store all my grain in them, along with my goods. 19Then I will say to myself, ‘My friend, you have a good store of grain stored away for many years. Take it easy, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!’ 20But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night they will demand your life back. And whose will be the wealth you have stored up?’ 21So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.” – Word of salvation.

Reflection:

From the crowd, someone asks Jesus to help him in an inheritance dispute with his brother. The Master responds that he did not come to settle family inheritance disputes. It is not his job to be a conciliatory judge. He seeks to help us understand and points out the reasons that lead to impoverishment and conflicts between people. Jesus does not ignore the injustice that favors the concentration of wealth, driving many people into poverty. The parable challenges the concentration of wealth and shows that it is madness and folly before God. This rich farmer doesn't think about his employees or the poor.