Cycle C 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Eccl 1:2,2:21-23; Col 3:1-5,9-11; Lk 12:13-21
 
Charles Dickens in his play “The Christmas Carol” gives the picture of a selfish man, Mr Scrooge, whose sole aim in life was acquiring as much wealth as possible at any cost. He considered Christmas celebrations as humbug, and hated charity. He weighed human relationship

against material wealth.  He never bothered to care for his nephew or his employees.
 
One day night, he saw an unusual figure in his bed room. It was a ghost in chains. The ghost introduced himself as the ghost of his deceased partner. He came to warn Mr Scrooge about the futility of the life that he was leading. He told him that some spirits would come to him and he should listen to their message, to avoid the fate that Marley was suffering.
 
First came the ghost of the past. He took Mr Scrooge to his past. He was presented as a young man who did not heed to the voice of his parents; who abandoned the love of a beautiful maiden to amass wealth. The second ghost, the ghost of the present, took him to the church where Christmas celebrations were being held; and to the house of   one of his employees. There he witnessed what others thought of him. Everyone hated him due to his over attachment to wealth. The third ghost took him to the future. He was taken to a house where a dead body lay unattended and unlamented by any one. He was curious to see the dead man. The ghost allowed him to see the corpse. Mr Scrooge was shocked it was his own death scene.
 
Mr Scrooge learned a great lesson that his frantic chase for wealth was meaningless. It would only lead him to eternal misery.  This is the message of today’s readings.
 
The author of the book of Ecclesiastes, from which the first reading is taken, was evidently a man of wealth and education. Like every Hebrew of his time he too shared the view that material prosperity was one of the chief signs of God’s blessing and approval. Yet he questioned the assumptions of his society. He declares the truth that “a man who labours wisely, skilfully and successfully, must leave what is his own to someone who has not toiled for it at all. So he asks himself, “What profit comes to a man from all the toil and anxiety of heart with which he has laboured under the sun?” He was wise enough to ask the question, “Is it not vanities of vanities to labour so hard to build up earthly happiness and before one realizes it he has to leave it and depart from this world.”
 
This experience leads some people to store things in the grave for future. The discovery of the tomb of King Tutankhamun gives amble evidence for this.  When his tomb was opened they found great treasure buried along with his body. The list of contents describes breath taking treasure and different types of objects, many of them were made of gold and silver and encrusted with precious jewels. There were gold ornaments, silver ornaments, jewellery, furniture, weapons, thrones, jars, bots, chariots clothes and statues representing servant.
The man in the story of Jesus too is like this. He exhorted himself, “eat heartily, drink well, and enjoy yourself.” He gave no consideration to his end. But God said to him: “fool! This very night the demand will be made for your soul; and this hoard of yours, whose will it be then?   St Paul advises us, “Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on the earth.”
 
The message today’s readings give are:
 
First, God wants us to remember that excessive attachment riches are dangerous. It makes us proud, closes our heart to the needs of our neighbour, and easily turns into idols which replace God in our live.
 
Secondly, God wants us to keep in mind that whatever we possess is God’s gift.  This gift should not be a hindrance, but a help to discover His love and goodness. We will remain accountable for two things: “How we acquired them?” and “what use we made of them?”
 
Listen to the wise teaching from India:
 
Rivers do not drink their water
Trees do not consume their fruits themselves
Clouds do not rain for them
Thus, the wealth of the noble men is to be used for others.


Satish