Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection October 21, 2024

21st October 2024 (Monday)

Psalter: Week 1

Readings of the Day

First Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10

Brethren: You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience — among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved — and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Psalm 100:1-2, 3, 4, 5 (R. 3b)

R/. The Lord made us; we belong to him.

Gospel Acclamation

V/. Alleluia

R/. Alleluia

V/. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

R/. Alleluia.

Gospel: Luke 12:13-21

At that time: Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of one’s possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich towards God.”

Daily Gospel Reflection

Monday – Twenty-Ninth Week of Ordinary Time

Guidelines: The meaning of life is to be found not in the material abundance but in the spiritual

1. The gospel presents to us the parable of the rich fool. In the Bible, foolishness or folly is not merely an intellectual matter. It is a matter of whole life. It is a way of living, a mode of being. There is always a contrast between folly and wisdom.

2. In the light of the first reading, foolishness is a way of life that walks in trespasses and sins. It is to follow the course of the world. It is to follow the counsels of Satan. It is to follow the spirit of disobedience. It is to live in the passion of our flesh. It is to carry out the desires of the body and mind. The consequence is to become the children of wrath and death.

3. On the contrary, to be wise is to lead a way of life that is in tune with God’s grace and mercy. It is to be alive together with Christ, from our death by sin. It is to be saved through faith. It is to walk in good works. The consequence is immeasurable riches of grace in kindness and eternal life, being seated with him in the heavenly places.

4. Some signs of folly are manifest in the rich fool also. They are: excessive trust in himself and worldly things; forgetting the impermanent nature of life, and reducing the value of life only to material enjoyment. In sum, foolishness is piling up riches in the sight of the world but not in God’s sight.

Practice: It is better to gather riches for heaven in wisdom living a life of spiritual abundance and fraternal kindness