💖 HOMILY - OCTOBER 20 💖

First Reading - Romans 4:20-25 

Gospel - Luke 12:13-21

One of the great temptations in life is to measure our worth by what we have — our possessions, success, and comfort. Yet deep down, we know that none of these things can truly satisfy the heart. Today’s readings invite us to reflect on a deeper truth: faith and trust in God are the only lasting riches we can possess.

In the first reading, St. Paul presents Abraham as the great model of faith. Abraham believed in God’s promise even when everything seemed impossible. He and Sarah were old and childless, yet he never doubted that God would be faithful. “His faith,” Paul says, “was credited to him as righteousness.” Abraham’s trust in God was not blind optimism; it was a confidence rooted in a relationship. He knew that God keeps His word, and that trust gave him a wealth far greater than gold — the wealth of peace, purpose, and blessing.

In the Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the rich man whose fields yielded an abundant harvest. Instead of thanking God or sharing his blessings, he decides to build bigger barns to store everything for himself. He says to his soul, “You have plenty of good things laid up for years. Take life easy, eat, drink, and be merry.” But that very night, his life is taken from him. Jesus calls him a fool — not because he was rich, but because he lived as if God did not exist. He invested everything in the temporary and nothing in the eternal.

Dear friends, earthly riches can vanish in a moment, but faith anchors us in something eternal. The rich man stored up treasures on earth, while Abraham stored up treasures in heaven — faith, obedience, and trust in God’s plan.

In our daily lives, it’s easy to fall into the same trap as the rich man — working endlessly for security, comfort, and recognition, while forgetting that our true security comes from God. There’s nothing wrong with having possessions, but there’s everything wrong with letting them possess us. What matters most is not how much we have, but how much we trust and share.

Let us ask ourselves: where is my heart today? Do I measure success by what I own, or by how much I love and trust God? Do I build bigger barns for myself, or do I build bridges of generosity and compassion?

The faith of Abraham shows us that God’s promises never fail. The parable of the rich fool reminds us that life is fragile and fleeting. What endures is faith — faith that lives, gives, and trusts in God’s goodness. May we store up treasure in heaven by living each day with open hands, generous hearts, and steadfast faith. For in God alone lies our true and everlasting wealth.