First reading: Eccl. 1:2, 2:21–23

Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, vanity of vanities!  All things are vanity!

Here is one who has labored with wisdom and knowledge and skill, and yet to another who has not labored over it, he must leave property. This also is vanity and a great misfortune. For what profit comes to man from all the toil and anxiety of heart with which he has labored under the sun? All his days sorrow and grief are his occupation; even at night his mind is not at rest. This also is vanity.

Second reading: Col. 3:1–5, 9–11

Brothers and sisters: If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.

Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry. Stop lying to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all and in all.

Gospel: Lk. 12:13–21

Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.” He replied to him, “Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?” Then he said to the crowd, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.”

Then he told them a parable. “There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?’ And he said, ‘This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’ Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God.”

In other words

by Fr. Victor Florida, SVD (Cheonan City, South Korea)

On this very same day, an incident changed my perspective on life. August 3, 1997, dawn of Sunday, four robbers entered the premises of the swine farm where I worked. Unaware of the commotion, I suddenly woke up because of a gunshot. There I saw my co-worker lying on the floor. He was shot near his heart, which led to his death. When one of the robbers saw me, he immediately declared, “Hold-up ‘to. Nasaan ang pera?” (This is a hold-up. Where is the money?) After taking all the money, he pushed me into the wall and forced me to kneel. Then he started to stab me five times. They left me almost unconscious. After a while, I touched my warm blood on the floor. And it was then that I realized it was not a dream but a real situation. The only words I first uttered were, “Sorry, Lord, ikaw na bahala sa akin.” (I am sorry, Lord, it’s all up to You now.) I was not thinking of other things anymore while on the brink of death. While offering my life to God, I also did the best I could at that moment.

This tragic and traumatic incident made me realize many things about human existence. First, life is uncertain in all its aspects. Anytime, death can strike anyone. Never in my wildest dream had I thought of being stabbed and my co-worker shot to death. The second is to value one’s life, family members, and the lives of other people. Sometimes, a person would deliberately neglect or set aside people thinking that there is always time in the future. Showing love and forgiveness should not be delayed. Third, essential things should be given more focus and prioritized. In pursuit of happiness and success, it is necessary also to note that others should not be trampled and hurt along the way.

The readings speak of having the wisdom to appreciate the resources received from God. In the Gospel, a man tells Jesus to help him acquire his inheritance from his brother. Jesus instead tells him and the crowd to guard against all greed. The parable describes the attitude of a rich man towards a bountiful harvest: how he will be able to keep and enjoy himself without thinking of other people?

When will a person feel secure and contented in life? It is good to save and prepare for the future, but let us always remember the essentials of life and for whom we are preparing. We should invest our lives in God.