A
Amiciel
Guest
Sharing this reflection from today’s Euchalette, 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 31, 2016, p.4:July 31, 2016 - 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time:
Collect (Opening Prayer):
“Draw near to your servants, O Lord,
and answer their prayers with unceasing kindness,
that, for those who glory in you as their Creator and guide,
you may restore what you have created
and keep safe what you have restored.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”
Today’s Scripture Readings and reflection:
usccb.org/bible/reflections/
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2016-07-31
"THE DECEPTIVENESS OF MATERIAL RICHES"
"All that God creates has value, for He imprints in all creatures the mark of His wisdom and power. But not all creatures have the same value. Just as there are different degrees of perfection and beauty, so there are also different degrees among values. Material values are inferior to intellectual, social, and spiritual values. Temporal values are less important than eternal values.
Unfortunately, many fail to perceive such a difference, either because of their lack of formation, or because they are blinded by their lower instincts and passions. Thus, their moral priorities are off-the-mark. Some reach horrifying degrees of perversion. They take as their highest values the pleasure of the senses, money, power, prestige, popularity. . . . All their energies and their whole existence are directed towards the attainment of what they wrongly consider the most important things in life. These people are among those “whose god is their belly” and who “glory in what they should be ashamed of….” (See Phil 3:19.) Their ideals and aspirations do not emerge above the shallow level of earthly life. They fail to “be intent on things above, rather than on things of earth” (Col 3:2). “Their end is destruction!” warns St. Paul. (See Paul 3:19.)
God’s judgment on such perversion is unequivocal and extremely severe: “You fool!” (Lk 12:20) This is His infallible judgment on a way of life which is a form of idolatry, and which is incompatible with the Christian view of life."
(Please read on for continuation of thought.)