So grateful for a beautiful time worshiping with my friend Kathleen Wolfe and her Mom Ann Marie at the St. Ambrose Roman Catholic Church in Endicott. Powerful Sermon by Pastor Michael Galuppi about acknowledging our sins and placing our trust in God’s Love!
Opening with a vivid account of the consummate traveler, one who perfectly plans the journey but completely forgets about and is unprepared for our destination. “Let that not be said about us for we are built for Eternity!”
Same is true for the ‘rich man’ gospel reading. “The world does deserve our attention, but not all of our attention. Let work, even family, and golf (I think he knows Kathleen and I are golfers!) define who we are—life does not consist of our material possessions!”
There is a vanity of a larger nature where we focus on the external, less on the core, which is not ours forever. Hold them loosely. The good Catholic answer is “to do both but in the proper order and priority!.”
St. Paul in Colossians tells us that we have already died in baptism and risen to a new life to focus on and “to seek those things which are above.”
St. Augustine, who was baptized by St. Ambrose (local Catholic good-to-know spiritual trivia), got stuck, distracted by the scenery, and forgot about the destination. But all good things in the world point to The Creator. Our hearts will be restless until we rest in Him. We are born with a God-sized hole that can only be filled by God. Innately we know this and these readings are a needed reminder!
Check priorities; do not be anxious about our departure. Be rich in things that matter the most. Think about things above…
Powerful readings below; powerful sermon! Thank you Pastor Michael!
First Reading:
Ecclesiastes 1:1-4: “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.”
Ecclesiastes 2:21-23: “For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil. For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun? For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.”
Second Reading:
Colossians 3:1-4: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”
Colossians 3:10-11: “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.”
Gospel Reading:
Luke 12:13-21: “And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: and he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
(Andy Reistetter; Facebook Post with 30 Pics; 8-9-19)
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