Eighteenth Sunday of the Year (Year C)

 Eighteenth Sunday of the Year August 03, 2025

Ecclesiastes 1:2, 2:21-23; Colossians 3:1-5.9-11; Luke 12:13-21

(Image courtesy: Google)

A fisherman caught a large fish. He looked at it and threw back in the river, tried again and caught another large fish. Again, he looked at it and threw back in the river. Then he caught a small fish. He pulled out his frying pan, made fire and began frying his fish. There was another man from the other side of the river watching all of these and yelled to him, "Are you crazy? Here I'm trying to catch a fish the last hour and there you are throwing away such nice fish! What's wrong with you?" "Nothing', the man answered except my frying pan is small!" 

He was a contended man. He knew the size of your frying pan. He had no vain ambitions. Contentment with what you are what you have leads to true happiness.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus has been approached to settle such an argument over an inheritance. Jesus responds not by taking sides but by addressing the greed that has brought both sides to near blows. He tells the parable of the rich man who, in his good fortune, loses his sense of what is really important. 

Possessions create the illusion that we can control our lives; the drive for gain makes us oblivious to the needs and dreams of others. The “foolish” rich man in today’s Gospel sadly discovers that wealth in the reign of God has nothing to do with stock portfolios, bank accounts or the social register.

In the parable of today’s gospel, we hear of a man who is already rich. His land has yielded an abundant harvest so much so that he doesn’t know what to do with it. After some thought, he decides to tear down his barns and build bigger ones. He then says to himself, “‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’”

But that very night, God speaks: “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?”

This is not a condemnation of wealth in itself. It is not about farming success or hard work. The man is not guilty of fraud, theft, or exploitation. His mistake is far more subtle — and therefore more dangerous.

His sin is self-centeredness and spiritual blindness. He speaks only to himself, thinks only of himself, and makes plans only for himself. Notice how many times the man uses the words “I” and “my”:

“What should I do? … I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods…” This is a life where God has no place, and neighbours are irrelevant. There’s no gratitude, no sharing, no concern for the poor, no awareness that life is fragile.

The rich man believed that he had many years ahead. He assumed that with full barns came full security. He convinced himself that wealth guaranteed peace and happiness. But death arrives without warning, shattering the illusion. This is a hard truth: we do not own time. Our lives are not under our control. Jesus’ point is sobering: You can be materially wealthy, but spiritually bankrupt.

Being rich toward God means: Gratitude – thanking God for the gifts we receive

Generosity – sharing with those in need

Humility – acknowledging that our wealth and talents are gifts, not solely our achievements

Prioritising relationships over riches

Investing in eternity, not just in this world

As St. Paul writes in today’s second reading, “Seek the things that are above, where Christ is... Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

We live in a world that often celebrates accumulation. Advertisements constantly urge us to buy more, save more, invest more, and insure more. We measure success by what we have, not who we are. But Jesus teaches something radically different: True life is not found in possessions. In fact, when our possessions possess us, we lose sight of the kingdom of God.

The man in the parable wanted to “eat, drink, and be merry.” In itself, that's not wrong. But without gratitude, without sharing, without God — such enjoyment becomes empty and self-indulgent.

This Gospel calls us to simplicity, not necessarily poverty, but freedom from attachment to wealth. Jesus isn’t saying we shouldn't plan for the future. He is warning us not to place our security in things that pass away.

St. Ignatius of Loyola, whose feast we just celebrated, teaches us to use created things insofar as they help us toward our ultimate end, union with God. Anything that hinders that, no matter how good it seems, must be let go.

Life Is a Gift, Not a Guarantee

The rich man’s fatal error was forgetting that life is not a possession, but a gift, one that can be demanded back at any time. He spent his life building barns for grain, but neglected to build a heart for God.

Let’s not fall into that trap. Let’s store up treasures in heaven, where moth and rust cannot destroy. Let’s be rich not in what we own, but in what we give. Not in what we save, but in how we serve.

May we all live as people who know the size of our pan and catch fish. Let us deeply know that our true inheritance is not in lands or wealth, but in the love of God.

Happy Sunday