Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries. Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire. You have stored up treasure for the last days.

The rich described here are not only those who have wealth, but also those who have time and talents to spare, too. When we withhold the gifts and goods God has given us and hoard them for ourselves or keep them locked away, we store up the chains that will bind us to Hell. Letting our time slip by us, our talents rot, and our treasures sit idle will lead to misery and destruction. If we fail to use what God has given us for His glory or the goodness of others, then we will have no chance to go to Heaven and receive the gift of everlasting life. We will instead by cast into the fires of Hell. It is only by being generous with what we have that we will build a storehouse of good which will be evidence of our choosing God above all else.

Are we generous or miserly? What are we doing with our time, talents, and treasures? How can we build up goodness in our lives instead of evil?

O Lord, help us to use our time, talents, and treasures wisely and well.

Amen.