Sunday, August 04, 2019

Focus on what has eternal significance, look beyond temporal satisfaction (Readings for August 4, 2019 annotated) (Lectionary: 114)


Key:
What these scriptures tell us about God
What these scriptures tell us to do
What these scriptures tell us not to do
Commentary
Hyperlinks to additional resources

Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, vanity of vanities!  All things are vanity! Here is one who has labored with wisdom and knowledge and skill, and yet to another who has not labored over it, he must leave property.  This also is vanity and a great misfortune. For what profit comes to man from all the toil and anxiety of heart with which he has labored under the sun? All his days sorrow and grief are his occupation; even at night his mind is not at rest.  This also is vanity.

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
You turn man back to dust, saying, “Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday, now that it is past, or as a watch of the night.
R. 
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
You make an end of them in their sleep; the next morning they are like the changing grass, which at dawn springs up anew, but by evening wilts and fades.
R. 
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Teach us to 
number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long? have pity on your servants!
R. 
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness, that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
And may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours; prosper the work of our hands for us! Prosper the work of our hands!
R. 
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Brothers and sisters: If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.

Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthlyimmoralityimpuritypassion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry.  Stop lying to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator. 

Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all and in all.

Alleluia  Matthew 5:3  
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are 
the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
R. 
Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Luke 12:13-21  
Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.” He replied to him, “Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?”

Then he said to the crowd, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.”

Then he told them a parable.  “There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest.  He asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?’ And he said, ‘This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones.  There 
I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’ Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God.”

What these scriptures tell us about God
a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday
your kindness
the gracious care of the LORD
your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.
you have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator.
Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all and in all.

What these scriptures tell us to do
hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
number our days aright
gain wisdom of heart.hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
seek what is above
Think of what is above, not of what is on earth 
Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly
taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self
the poor in spirit
guard against all greed
rich in what matters to God

What the scriptures tell us not to do
immorality
impurity
passion
evil desire
greed that is idolatry
lying
I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!”
store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God.

Commentary 
The principles highlighted in today’s readings run throughout scripture. See the scriptures collected in:

No comments: