18th Sunday, Year C: August 3, 2025
Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23; Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11; Luke 12:13-21
Seek what really matters!
Friends,
Today’s Gospel pierces our modern hearts with timeless truth. A man asks Jesus to settle a family dispute over inheritance. But Jesus doesn’t indulge the request. Instead, He warns against something far more dangerous than legal injustice—He warns against greed.
Jesus tells the parable of a rich man who has everything—wealth, comfort, security. He builds bigger barns, talks only to himself, and dreams of a long life of ease. But God says, “You fool! This night your life will be demanded of you.” What a sobering line. Not because wealth is evil—but because when possessions possess us, we forget what truly matters: relationship with God and the life to come.
St. Paul reminds us today, “Seek what is above.” We are not merely passing through life; we are being prepared for eternity. The man in the Gospel stored treasure in his barns but none in his soul. You and I—what are we storing? Are we building barns of pride, comfort, or distraction? Or are we building altars of mercy, love, and prayer?
Dear friends, we have 3 takeaways from the readings of this weekend:
1. Life’s True Value Is Found in Eternity, Not in Possessions
“Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!” (Ecclesiastes 1:2)
“Though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” (Luke 12:15)
The world tells us that success is measured by what we own—our homes, careers, or status. But today's readings remind us that all earthly things fade. What endures is our relationship with God. When we live with eternity in mind, we start investing in what truly matters: faith, virtue, and love. Possessions pass away—but the soul endures forever.
2. Greed Can Blind Us to the Needs of Others and the Voice of God
In the parable, the rich man speaks only to himself—he never mentions God, his neighbors, or the poor. When our hearts are cluttered with greed or self-focus, we lose our ability to hear God and see others. Today, Jesus calls us to declutter—not just our closets, but our souls. Let generosity, compassion, and detachment replace the noise of accumulation. We become most human when we give.
3. We Are Made for More—Seek What Is Above
“Seek what is above, where Christ is seated... For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:1-3)
As baptized Christians, we live with dual citizenship—on earth and in heaven. Paul’s words remind us that our identity is not in what we own or do, but in Christ Himself. When we live each day grounded in His love, our priorities shift. Heaven becomes our compass, and holiness becomes our path.
Let us live today with eternity in view. Let us give more than we gather, listen more than we speak, and seek Christ more than we seek comfort. Because in the end, our life will not be measured by what we kept, but by what we gave in love.
In short: Hold loosely what the world clings to tightly. Live generously, love deeply, and keep your eyes fixed on heaven.
God bless you and have a splendid week.
