Daily Gospel Reflection for October 22, 2018

Today's Gospel: Luke 12:13-21 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.” (Lk 12:15) What do you want to be “rich” in? Life or possessions? My dad, when my siblings and I were young and complained we wanted more money, that we wanted to be rich, would say, “We are rich, we are not wealthy.” He was rich because he had his family and was able to provide and care for us. We had what mattered; we had each other. I understood my dad’s point, but still wished I could have whatever I wanted that money could buy. As an adult, a parent, and a grandparent, I see his point. What is there in life that brings us true joy? Our family and friends. Our relationship with Christ. And the joy overflows when those two areas are joined. The things we own give us some happiness, and some things may even remind us of times of joy; but ultimately, our joy, our riches, come from walking with Him who gave us life. If you want to take Jesus’ words today and use them to talk about minimalism you can. I’d rather think about my attitude towards my possessions. In and of themselves, most possessions are not good or bad. Our attitude can be, though; do I want more for the sake of more, or do I use what I have responsibly and prudently? At the risk of dating myself, the old bumper sticker that said, “He who dies with the most toys wins” was not right. We win when we realize being rich in faith and love helps us gain heaven, while possessions do not.