Today’s readings force us to reflect about the importance we give to the material things. In fact, our world has become a culture of materialism. A competitive world, a world that tells us we are only really somebody when we are popular, when we have a money, when we have a fancy car or when we look more beautiful that others. Jesus tells us the opposite, in the parable, Jesus speaks about a man who is convinced that he is successful because he is rich farmer. He can eat, drink, party for years. But Jesus calls him fool, because at anytime, God can his take life……No one has any guarantee about how long he will live. Jesus takes this opportunity to warn people against greed and anything that can become an idol for us. He says that it is an illusion to think that material things themselves can give true happiness. Jesus is not against the rich man in the parable because he is rich, but He is against by the fact that the focus is on himself. He is self centered, he does not consider the needs of the poor. We are like the man in the parable when we store items, stuff for our security and we don’t use them. Look at the yard sales on the weekend every where across the country. Look at the storage everywhere. Talking from my own experience, I was ashamed last week when I opened my closet and then when I walked in my kitchen. I saw so much stuff I don’t use, and I don’t need. Then I said to myself all these things we don’t use, belong to the poor. Because somewhere in the world, there are people who need what we store up. My brothers and sisters the good news of today’s readings is a gentle reminder that we are in this world for a short time and that our true home is heaven.
