August 3, 2025 Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Daily Readings: Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23; Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11; Luke 12:13-21.
What are we truly searching for in life? What gives meaning to our existence? In a world where one plants the tree and another reaps the fruit, where parents toil for decades only to see their sacrifices squandered, what lasting value can we find? These questions, though unsettling, reflect the reality of many lives. The author of the Letter to the Colossians offers a response: our answers lie in God alone.
The First Reading, from Ecclesiastes (Qohelet), reminds us that all worldly pursuits, wealth, wisdom, and toil, are ultimately fleeting. “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity,” says the Teacher. Earthly gains often leave us with anxiety and emptiness. The message is clear: without a higher purpose, our efforts are in vain.
The Second Reading, from the Letter to the Colossians, urges believers to lift their gaze heavenward. If we have been raised with Christ, we must seek what is above, letting go of what is earthly, immorality, greed, and deceit. Greed, in fact, is condemned as a form of idolatry. Using the image of clothing, Paul invites us to strip off the old self and put on the new, transformed in the likeness of Christ, in whom all distinctions disappear: Jew or Greek, slave or free, all are one in Him.
In the Gospel, Jesus addresses a man’s request to settle a property dispute, but instead, He warns about the danger of greed. Through the parable of the rich fool, Jesus critiques a self-absorbed man who speaks only of “my barns,” “my crops,” and “my goods.” He uses “I” six times and “my” five times, revealing a heart consumed by selfishness. He even speaks to his soul as though it were physical: “Soul, eat, drink, and be merry.” But the soul is spiritual; it is nourished not by possessions but by grace, truth, and relationship. The parable ends with divine judgment: life is not guaranteed, and hoarding wealth without being “rich toward God” is foolishness.
This Sunday’s liturgy invites us to reflect on where we place our trust and purpose. Do we hoard or do we share? Do we seek spiritual richness, or are we building bigger barns for ourselves?
Call to Action: Wealth can blind us to the needs of those around us. How open am I to the needs of my neighbors? Do I nourish both body and soul or only one?
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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