Proper 13 (18) – Year C

August 3, 2025

Gospel Lectionary Text

Luke 12:13-21
12:13 Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me."

12:14 But he said to him, "Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?"

12:15 And he said to them, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions."

12:16 Then he told them a parable: "The land of a rich man produced abundantly.

12:17 And he thought to himself, 'What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?'

12:18 Then he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

12:19 And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.'

12:20 But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?'

12:21 So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God."

Context

Coming soon.

Question

Coming soon.

Reflections

With Me or Against Me

A group of leaders in a Mayan urban community in Guatemala were very enthusiastic about the idea of running a program to combat teenage alcohol consumption — one of many issues negatively impacting young people in their community. They had great plans, but one question remained: where could they obtain the necessary resources to run...

Read More »

Giving up on Control

In this week’s text, the Rich Fool thinks he can control and manage his life into a state of blissful completion. His land has been productive, and he has more than he knows what to do with. All he needs is a strategy, and he’ll have it made. “I know! I’ll just build bigger barns!...

Read More »

The Mystery of Mercy

We can manage moral purity from the “other side” of the road, but mercy “comes near” and gets involved in the mess of life.

Read More »

Praying Eucharistically - Weekly Homily by James Alison:

Understanding the Bible anew through the Mimetic Theory of René Girard.

Poetry

A Prayer
translated by Tom Michel, SJ

by Rebe'a al-'Adawiya

O my God, all the good things you have prepared for me on this earth, give them to Your enemies. And everything you have prepared for me in the other world, give it to Your friends, because You are enough for me. My God, if I worship you out of fear of Hell, burn me in Hell. And if I worship you out of hope of Paradise, keep me out of Paradise. But if I worship You soley for Yourself, do not deprive me of Your eternal beauty. O God, all that I do and all that I desire in this world is to remember You, and in the world to come, my only desire is to meet You. This is my desire; now do with me whatever you will.

 

Prayer

Coming soon.