DAILY GOSPEL

«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68

Monday, 22 October 2007

Monday of the Twenty-ninth week in Ordinary Time

Today the Church celebrates : St. Mary Salome

See commentary below or click here
Saint Augustine : "Be rich in what matters to God"

Letter to the Romans 4,20-25.

He did not doubt God's promise in unbelief; rather, he was empowered by faith and gave glory to God and was fully convinced that what he had promised he was also able to do. That is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." But it was not for him alone that it was written that "it was credited to him"; it was also for us, to whom it will be credited, who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over for our transgressions and was raised for our justification.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 12,13-21.

Someone in the crowd said to him, "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 the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God."

Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB

Commentary of the day :

Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church
Sermon 34: on Ps 149

"Be rich in what matters to God"

Brethren, carefully inspect the place where you dwell interiorly; open your eyes and consider the capital of your love; then increase whatever sum you discover within yourselves. Keep watch over this treasure so that you may become wealthy within. Goods of great price are called 'dear', and with good reason… But what could be more dear than love, my brothers? What is its cost, in your opinion? And how are you to pay it? The cost of land or wheat is your silver; the cost of a pearl is your gold; but the cost of your love is you yourself. If you want to buy a field, a jewel, an animal, you seek the necessary means, you look around you. But if you want to possess love, look no further than yourself: it is yourself you must find.

What are you afraid of in giving yourself? Of losing yourself? To the contrary, it is by refusing to give yourself that you lose yourself. Love itself speaks through the mouth of Wisdom and calms with one word the confusion into which this saying threw you: "Give of your own self!" If someone had wanted to sell you a piece of land, he would say to you: "Give me your silver" or, for some other thing: "Give me your cash." Now listen to what Love says to you through the mouth of Wisdom: "My child, give me your heart" (Pr.23,26). Your heart was in a bad way when it was your own, when it was in your own hands. You were a prey to emptiness, not to speak of evil passions. Remove it from all such things! Where will you take it? Where offer it? "My son, give me your heart!" says Wisdom. Let it only come to me and you will not lose it…

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind," (Mt 22,37)... He who created you desires the whole of you.

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