You Can't Take It With You

Today's Gospel was the parable about the rich farmer who had an excess amount of grain and didn't share it.  Instead he planned to build bigger storage.  He died that night.  Luke 12: 13-21.  I had always thought that parable was directed to the selfish, rich people in Jesus' audience.  

A few Sundays ago, we read the Gospel Matthew 21: 28-32, where a man asked his sons for help.  The one that said no, did eventually help.  When I read that particular Gospel, I associated that son, with Jesus' response to His mother, in John 2: 4-5, known as the marriage feast at Cana.  Both had to do with responses that were the opposite of the final actions.

Well, this is what I had in the back of my mind, when I heard today's Gospel Luke 12: 13-21.
                                       Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher,
                                       tell my brother to share the inheritance with me."
                                       He replied to him, "Friend, who appointed me
                                       as your judge and arbitrator?"
The parable that follows, I always took as Jesus doing what the man asked.  Jesus, in effect, was telling the man's brother to share the inheritance, through this parable.  Just as the actions were the opposite of the responses to Matthew 21: 28-32 and John 2: 4-5.

However, this morning I realized that this parable also could be applied to the man who asked Jesus to tell his brother to share.  Jesus was telling him to not be anxious about money.

Think deeper.  The parable applies to both brothers, equally.  The rich one and the other.  Neither one should be overly concerned about the future and who inherits what.  You can't take anything with you when you die.

YES!

Peg's Yes

This morning the homily was about Mary's Annunciation.  Father related the story of talking to children about Mary saying "Yes," to becoming the Mother of God.  The children were asked if they would say "yes."  They responded with a resounding "Yes."

Father then turned to the nuns and asked them if they would say "Yes."  Their response was YES.

Father then turned to us laity in the pews, and we said "Yes" -- sorta.

I admit, I didn't.  I wanted to, but hesitated.  I wanted to know the implications of my "Yes."  After all, the God of the Old Testament is vengeful, and mean.  Sometimes, I wonder about the view of God given by Jesus.

Well...

I was thinking of when I'd be the elder son in the Prodigal Son (Matt 21: 28-32, or the poor slob who was suckered into slaving all the day in the field Matt 20: 1-16), or the timid honest one who buried his master talents ( Matt 25: 14-30), etc.

I would want a guarantee that I'd be loved and cared for, and that God would never abandon me. Luckily, I recalled Romans 8:31-39 "What shall we then say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He that didn't spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, will he not also give us, with him, all things freely?... For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to be, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  


So when Mass was finished, and Father again asked us, "Would you say 'yes' to God?"


I shouted, "YES"!