Thursday, November 04

The Gospel of Luke, chapter 12:15

God has great riches to share with us and we have great riches to share with each other. We have a tendency to hoard our treasure, not spread it around. That is the way of the world. Take time today to look at the treasure you have on deposit and ask yourself what kind of interest you are making on it? Draw on your stockpile of riches and spread them around. That’s what God does; what Jesus did; and that’s what every good Christian does daily. Don’t be afraid to pile up this kind of interest. You won’t be the poorer for it. That’s a promise from Jesus Himself. Ask yourself: am I generous with my possessions or am I willing to share them with others?

As followers of Jesus, our job is to recognize how incredibly rich we really are, and to dip into our riches to share with others. Now, some of you may ask; what riches do I have to share? You have more riches to share than you might realize. Read on.

First of all, you have a splendid story to share; a story that stretches back to the very dawn of creation. Filled with wonderful characters and events, our story weaves its way through the lives of a chosen people and comes to fulfillment in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. This story has continued to unfold through the Christian era. Like all great stories, your story is not finished yet. It is still being lived; and still being written; and still being told in large and little settings throughout the world. This story is part of your treasure. Share it.

Secondly, you have been given a sense of the holy; God’s presence around you and within you. You know that there is more to life than meets the eye, and that all things are somehow charged with God’s grace. All things are God-touched. Share this sense of the holy with your neighbor.

Thirdly, you are called to experience a sense of gratefulness for the bounty that surrounds you. Realize how gifted you are and know how to give thanks. Give thanks every day. Appreciate this, and share your appreciation with others.

A person’s possessions do not guarantee happiness. Happiness, like life itself, is a gift. It is the sort of gift that recognizes God as our wealth. God shares His riches with us so that we can share them with others.

Fr. Hugh Duffy.