Rich in Righteousness

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to to invest in growing our faith as the path to riches in fullness of life.

Contemplate a Path to Righteousness

The Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans treats our Inheritance through Faith.

* [4:1–25] This is an expanded treatment of the significance of Abraham’s faith, which Paul discusses in Gal 3:6–18; see notes there

* [4:20] He did not doubt God’s promise in unbelief: any doubts Abraham might have had were resolved in commitment to God’s promise. Heb 11:8–12 emphasizes the faith of Abraham and Sarah. (Romans, CHAPTER 4, n.d.)

The Response from the Gospel of Luke is The Canticle of Zechariah.

* [1:68–79] Like the canticle of Mary (Lk 1:46–55) the canticle of Zechariah is only loosely connected with its context. Apart from Lk 1:76–77, the hymn in speaking of a horn for our salvation (Lk 1:69) and the daybreak from on high (Lk 1:78) applies more closely to Jesus and his work than to John. Again like Mary’s canticle, it is largely composed of phrases taken from the Greek Old Testament and may have been a Jewish Christian hymn of praise that Luke adapted to fit the present context by inserting Lk 1:76–77 to give Zechariah’s reply to the question asked in Lk 1:66.

* [1:69] A horn for our salvation: the horn is a common Old Testament figure for strength (Ps 18:3; 75:5–6; 89:18; 112:9; 148:14). This description is applied to God in Ps 18:3 and is here transferred to Jesus. The connection of the phrase with the house of David gives the title messianic overtones and may indicate an allusion to a phrase in Hannah’s song of praise (1 Sm 2:10), “the horn of his anointed.” (Luke, CHAPTER 1 |USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus shares the Parable of the Rich Fool.

* [12:13–34] Luke has joined together sayings contrasting those whose focus and trust in life is on material possessions, symbolized here by the rich fool of the parable (Lk 12:16–21), with those who recognize their complete dependence on God (Lk 12:21), those whose radical detachment from material possessions symbolizes their heavenly treasure (Lk 12:33–34).

* [12:21] Rich in what matters to God: literally, “rich for God.” (Luke, CHAPTER 12, n.d.)

Candice Tucci, OSF, comments that saving for what is needed is responsible stewardship. On the other hand, hoarding is not.

For what we have beyond our needs, a little comfort or entertainment is good for body and soul. However, this does not, as Christians, free us, nor society, nor government, from sharing with those who are in need and provide for healthy living. 

Scripture gives us riches and wealth to consider how we are living our lives, both in material wealth and spiritual treasure. Catholic Social Teaching and the Beatitudes, Mathew 5: 3-12,  are foundational to living our lives as is this one Gospel passage for today. 

How much is stored in barns? What’s in the piggy bank? What is an understanding of good stewardship, especially as citizens? What are personal and societal priorities? Ignorance and greed? Love and compassion?

Mutually with the help of God, our creator, we can restore and mend our broken world. (Tucci, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Surrounded by wealth, blind to charity,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"'What does the rich man do, surrounded by a great supply of many blessings beyond all numbering? In distress and anxiety, he speaks the words of poverty. He says, 'What should I do?' ... He does not look to the future. He does not raise his eyes to God. He does not count it worth his while to gain for the mind those treasures that are above in heaven. He does not cherish love for the poor or desire the esteem it gains. He does not sympathize with suffering. It gives him no pain nor awakens his pity. Still more irrational, he settles for himself the length of his life, as if he would also reap this from the ground. He says, 'I will say to myself, "Self, you have goods laid up for many years. Eat, drink, and enjoy yourself." 'O rich man,' one may say, "You have storehouses for your fruits, but where will you receive your many years? By the decree of God, your life is shortened." 'God,' it tells us, 'said to him, "You fool, this night they will require of you your soul. Whose will these things be that you have prepared?" (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 89) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Romans 4:20-25 comments that it helps to have models of faith like Abraham to encourage us as we strive to hold fast to God’s promises.

How about you? Jesus has promised you eternal life. He has promised that he will never abandon you. He has promised that you can live as his son or daughter here and now. These promises are solid, faithful, and true. Abraham was fully convinced. Daudi and Jildo were fully convinced. So take courage! When you read about heroes like these, you can almost taste heaven!

“Lord, strengthen my faith as I recall the saints and martyrs who have gone before me!” (Meditation on Romans 4:20-25, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Paul uses the Abraham story to speak about righteousness or peace with God as opposed to the Pharisees' scrupulosity. We trust in the goodness of God as an example is Jesus teaching that if we truly have this faith we will be righteous. Abraham did try to “hedge his bets” so his faith had to grow over time culminating in his willingness to sacrifice Isaac. In Luke’s Gospel, someone asks Jesus to arbitrate like the Jewish rabbis but Jesus warns us not to give in to greed in His parable, where the rich man died. We have to trust in Providence in our generosity and avoid making our possessions into idols. Friar Jude reminds us that we can only take love with us!

Fr. Mike Schmitz focuses on the theme of disciplining children, reflected in our readings from Sirach and Proverbs today. He clarifies that there is a crucial difference between discipline and destruction, and emphasizes that disciplining children should always be grounded in love and oriented towards their success in the future. Today's readings 1 Maccabees 12, Sirach 30-31, and Proverbs 23:13-16.

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Director of the Center for Spiritual Imagination Adam Bucko who describes how practices of contemplation have evolved and enlivened the Christian faith.

Contemplation, then, is not a separate path or a unique calling. It is Christianity itself, lived with depth and honesty. It is the heart of the Christian tradition, stretching from Jesus to the desert to today. And as our understanding of the human person has deepened—through psychology, neuroscience, and trauma studies—we are invited to add new tools, not because the tradition was wrong, but because it was formed in a different time, with less knowledge of how we carry and transmit pain. These new tools help us to heal, to stay present, and to love more freely. 

In the end, contemplation is not about escaping life but entering it more fully. It is how we listen for God in the silence—and how we hear God in the cries of the poor, the groaning of creation, and the joy of being alive. It is how we remember what’s good and live from that place for the sake of the world. (Rohr, n.d.)

We are aided by the Spirit as we reflect on the role of the themes in Catholic Social Teaching to shape our action as disciples of Christ.

References

Luke, CHAPTER 12. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 20, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/12?13 

Luke, CHAPTER 1 |USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved October 20, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/1?69 

Meditation on Romans 4:20-25. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved October 20, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/10/20/1410739/ 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 20, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/contemplation-is-christianity/ 

Romans, CHAPTER 4. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 20, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/4?20 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Storing up True Riches. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 20, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Tucci, C. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved October 20, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-october-20-2025 

Generosity and Treasure

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to live with the generosity we experience from God as we share our talents as disciples of Christ.

Time Talent Treasure

The reading from the Letter to the Ephesians proclaims the path from Death to Life in the Generosity of God’s Plan.

* [2:1–10] The recipients of Paul’s letter have experienced, in their redemption from transgressions and sins, the effect of Christ’s supremacy over the power of the devil (Eph 2:1–2; cf. Eph 6:11–12), who rules not from the netherworld but from the air between God in heaven and human beings on earth. Both Jew and Gentile have experienced, through Christ, God’s free gift of salvation that already marks them for a future heavenly destiny (Eph 2:3–7). The language dead, raised us up, and seated us…in the heavens closely parallels Jesus’ own passion and Easter experience. The terms in Eph 2:8–9 describe salvation in the way Paul elsewhere speaks of justification: by grace, through faith, the gift of God, not from works; cf. Gal 2:16–21; Rom 3:24–28. Christians are a newly created people in Christ, fashioned by God for a life of goodness (Eph 2:10).

* [2:1–7] These verses comprise one long sentence in Greek, the main verb coming in Eph 2:5, God brought us to life, the object you/us dead in…transgressions being repeated in Eph 2:1, 5; cf. Col 2:13.

* [2:2] Age of this world: or “aeon,” a term found in gnostic thought, possibly synonymous with the rulers of this world, but also reflecting the Jewish idea of “two ages,” this present evil age and “the age to come”; cf. 1 Cor 3:19; 5:10; 7:31; Gal 1:4; Ti 2:12. The disobedient: literally, “the sons of disobedience,” a Semitism as at Is 30:9.

* [2:5] Our relation through baptism with Christ, the risen Lord, is depicted in terms of realized eschatology, as already exaltation, though Eph 2:7 brings in the future aspect too. (Ephesians, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 100 declares all lands are summoned to Praise God.

* [Psalm 100] A hymn inviting the people to enter the Temple courts with thank offerings for the God who created them.

* [100:3] Although the people call on all the nations of the world to join in their hymn, they are conscious of being the chosen people of God. (Psalms, PSALM 100 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Luke shares the Parable of the Rich Fool.

* [12:13–34] Luke has joined together sayings contrasting those whose focus and trust in life is on material possessions, symbolized here by the rich fool of the parable (Lk 12:16–21), with those who recognize their complete dependence on God (Lk 12:21), those whose radical detachment from material possessions symbolizes their heavenly treasure (Lk 12:33–34).

* [12:21] Rich in what matters to God: literally, “rich for God.” (Luke, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)

Thomas Quinn comments that when we are so absorbed in an all-encompassing drive for more material wealth that we lose our spiritual perspective. It is then not time to celebrate, it is time to recalibrate.

Find what really is your fair share (objectively, contemplatively, morally, spiritually). There are two ancient and secular phrases that haunt my reflection on this gospel. “You can’t take it with you.” and “Moderation in all things,” to which some add “...even moderation.” Even St. Ignatius initially struggled with the problem of riches and the thirst for more prestige and power. He vacillated between his aristocratic, soldier-self and the depleted, unkempt, starving ascetic-self. When he found his personal set-point and his true goal in life, extremes were no longer the answer. He no longer craved wealth and fame, but rather, he dedicated himself to love, service, and God’s will. As Jesus tells us in today’s gospel, “Don’t store up treasures for yourself...these are treasures that do not matter to God.” Amen! (Quinn, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Surrounded by wealth, blind to charity,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"'What does the rich man do, surrounded by a great supply of many blessings beyond all numbering? In distress and anxiety, he speaks the words of poverty. He says, 'What should I do?' ... He does not look to the future. He does not raise his eyes to God. He does not count it worth his while to gain for the mind those treasures that are above in heaven. He does not cherish love for the poor or desire the esteem it gains. He does not sympathize with suffering. It gives him no pain nor awakens his pity. Still more irrational, he settles for himself the length of his life, as if he would also reap this from the ground. He says, 'I will say to myself, "Self, you have goods laid up for many years. Eat, drink, and enjoy yourself." 'O rich man,' one may say, "You have storehouses for your fruits, but where will you receive your many years? By the decree of God, your life is shortened." 'God,' it tells us, 'said to him, "You fool, this night they will require of you your soul. Whose will these things be that you have prepared?" (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 89) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 12:13-21 comments that Jesus didn’t tell this parable to scold us. Rather, he wants to show us the breadth and depth of the life he created us for! He wants to tell us that we have a dignity and worth that can never be reduced to a balance sheet. Created in his Father’s image, we have priceless gifts like a fathomless intellect, a vivid imagination, and an inherent ability to recognize—and thirst for—his unfailing love. When we grasp how great these gifts are, we begin to value “the immeasurable riches of his . . . kindness to us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7). And that kindness can bring us to our knees in awe and gratitude and worship.

Today, ask the Lord to help you see your true worth and the worth of the people around you. Ask him to help you become more “rich in what matters to God” (Luke 12:21).

“Jesus, please show me that you are my greatest treasure!” (Meditation on Luke 12:13-21, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on being caught up in concupiscence as a theme of the author of Ephesians. The work of grace saving us through faith resonates with Paul except for salvation coming on the last day. Friar Jude is reminded by the Parable of the Rich Man that earthly thinking takes us away from thinking about the Kingdom.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, describes how we can humbly receive and share God’s “good word” for ourselves and the world.

We must receive all words of God tenderly and subtly, so that we can speak them to others with tenderness and subtlety. I would even say that anything said with too much bravado, over-assurance, or with any need to control or impress another, is never the voice of God within us. If any thought feels too harsh, shaming, or diminishing of ourselves or others, it is not likely the voice of God. Trust me on that. That is simply our egoic voice. Why do humans so often presume the exact opposite—that shaming voices are always from God, and grace voices are always the imagination? If something comes toward us with grace and can pass through us and toward others with grace, we can trust it as the voice of God. (Rohr, n.d.)

We ponder the generosity of God and seek the inspiration of the Spirit to assist us in understanding and sharing the treasure, talent and time we have to support fullness of life in our environment.

References

Ephesians, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 21, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ephesians/2?1 

Luke, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 21, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/12?13 

Meditation on Luke 12:13-21. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved October 21, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/10/21/1109845/ 

Psalms, PSALM 100 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 21, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/100?1 

Quinn, T. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. OnlineMinistries. Retrieved October 21, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/102124.html 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. A Loving Voice. Retrieved October 21, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-loving-voice/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Storing up True Riches. OnlineMinistries. Retrieved October 21, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=oct21