Today’s first reading from Ecclesiastes introduces us to the skeptic of the Old Testament. The preacher, or teacher, who speaks in this book is a man who comes across as having seen it all and tried it all. He is an individual whose instruction might leave us wondering, “So now what?”

The Gospel reading paraphrases Ecclesiastes 8:15 (“Therefore I praised joy, because there is nothing better for mortals under the sun than to eat and to drink and to be joyful”) when the landowner says to himself, “You have so many good things stored up for many years; rest, eat, drink, be merry!” (Luke 12:19).

Luke’s Gospel passage for today is a reminder that human beings can be very petty. The man who comes to Jesus through the crowd is upset because of a legal dispute with his brother. Jesus responds by telling the man a parable that demonstrates how ridiculous it is to hoard what one has received.

The rich man in the Gospel failed to share his abundance with others. Instead, he looked after only himself, thereby revealing that he was poor in what matters to God. God is rich in love, for God is love itself. The more that God’s love fills us, the more we will want to share what we have with others.

Evaluate your financial situation. Could you afford to be more financially supportive of those in need? On a normal day, track how you spend each fifteen to thirty minutes. What does your time log reveal about what is truly important to you? Should you make changes to how you spend your time?

Source: 2025 Sourcebook for Sundays, Seasons, and Weekdays – The Almanac for Pastoral Liturgy