The reading from the Gospel this Sunday comes from Gospel of St. Luke the Evangelist, Chapter 12:16-21, which is the Parable of the Rich Fool.
This is indeed a very unusual lesson for Jesus depicts a man who seems tremendously successful and whose sole problem is that he is too wealthy. Doesn’t seem to be a problem many people would complain about in our time; however, Jesus did not call the rich man successful but rather he called him a fool. Odd indeed, for we all know what a fool is, someone who blinds himself to a fundamental truth, a person who by self deception commits an enormous blunder, something foolish.
Greed led this man to make the biggest mistake of his life, he had such a successful harvest he was worried about where to store his harvest, building bigger barns which he foolishly thought would provide for him lasting security. Then Jesus, said, “you fool, tonight your very life will be taken from you, then who will get all that you have accumulated?” You see this is why he was referred to as a fool for this is how it will be for, “those who store up things for themselves but are not rich towards God”.
You see the rich fool lacked one important thing in his life: Gratitude! For gratitude is the capacity to say, “thank you”. Gratitude expresses appreciation not only for blessings received but also for personal relationships built on giving and sharing, the central theme of our American Civil Holiday of Thanksgiving which we will celebrate this week with our family and loved ones. Further gratitude means acceptance, affirmation and new growth in relationship among people and between people and God.
This is the true meaning of this parable which so aptly teaches us the importance of gratitude, thankfulness and Thanksgiving for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us in our lives.
May Almighty God bless all you and your loved ones and all those in this world with His love and compassion for all humanity.
