GOD’S WORD

July 31, 2016 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel: Lk 12:13-21

Someone in the crowd spoke to Jesus, “Master, tell my brother to share with me the family inheritance.” He replied, “My friend, who has appointed me as your judge or your attorney?” Then Jesus said to the people, “Be on your guard and avoid every kind of greed, for even though you have many possessions, it is not that which gives you life.”

And Jesus continued, “There was a rich man, and his land had produced a good harvest. He thought, ‘What shall I do, for I am short of room to store my harvest? Alright, I know what I shall do: I will pull down my barns and I will build bigger ones, to store all this grain, which is my wealth. Then I will say to myself: My friend, you have a lot of good things put by for many years. Rest, eat, drink and enjoy yourself.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be taken from you. Tell me, who shall get all you have put aside?’ This is the lot of the one who stores up riches for himself and is not wealthy in the eyes of God.”

Reflection:

Do not lie to one another. We must tell the truth to whoever is entitled to it, but we can (and in certain cases we must) withhold it from those who are not entitled to it (v.g. a nosy person, a gossip, a dangerous maniac, a killer)! Do we know the distinction between a lie and a mere falsehood (or “white lie”)?

Let us ask the Spirit to grant us the wisdom for discerning when to tell the truth and when to withhold it.