Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. -Year C - Sunday, 3 August 2025 (EPISODE: 541)
Readings for Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.- Year C
FIRST READING: Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23
Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14+17 (diff). "In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge"
SECOND READING: Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Matt 5:3). Alleluia, alleluia! Happy the poor in Spirit; The Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
GOSPEL: Luke 12:13-21
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Please listen to the audio-recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers and homily), for Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year C - Sunday, 3 August 2025 - by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-ep-541/s-0AVyAHunANg
(EPISODE: 541)
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PROLOGUE
What are we putting all our effort, time, and energy into? That's a very good question; its message clearly comes through this weekend's readings. The gospel parable is meant to snap us out of our apathy and lack of focus and bring us back into reality to get our priorities right. Some of the things we can spend an enormous amount of time, energy and resources on will produce limited fruits and some of very questionable quality.
So what are we putting our real focus on, and is it really on the kingdom of God? [FHL]
Homily
In some ways, today's gospel contains a similar theme to the gospel of a couple of weeks ago, with Mary and Martha. Just like that gospel, it's quite possible to be working very, very hard and keeping extremely busy, hardly ever stopping. But at the same time, it's possible to be busy and distracted by many things, but that doesn't make those things important.
They may not be the best use of our time. It's possible to be so busy that we don't focus on the things that are actually of vital importance. We might be worrying and focusing on eventualities that never happen, while missing out on those things that are already happening.
This weekend's reading makes a timely point. Some of the things we spend an enormous amount of time, energy and resources on are going to produce very limited fruits and some with very questionable quality. In the parable today, God intervenes to show the man, the rich man, how foolish and misguided his plans for the future are.
This doesn't mean that in the next life he's condemned to hell. It doesn't necessarily suggest that. Rather, the point here is to be clear about the priorities that we make in this life, so that we respond to the meaning of life itself.
Jesus rejects the accumulation of riches for oneself because it's not following God's will of selfless and generous loving service towards God and others. In setting our priorities, we're encouraged to keep that always in mind.
The rich man thinks only of himself. He even talks about himself and to himself. This man also works for himself and stores food for himself. It's a mean, lonely and distorted worldview where he's trapped in a very selfish and isolated world all of his own.
Jesus reminds us that we're in union with others around us. They are our brothers and sisters. We're all part of God's family.
We are actually diminished, as people that God has created us to be, if our purposes and actions go no further than self-satisfaction. This foolish man (named so by God himself) lets his fear and self-focus absorb him completely. And so, the man has a bad and unexpected ending.
In a way, we already know what a good ending to this parable would be. The rich man has a good year and is so happy that he says himself and those around him: "What a wonderful year! God has blessed me. God has blessed us. Quickly, tell others to come along and take some of the grain.
Let's share in it. What I want for all of us is to celebrate in this wonderful blessing and share in it so we might all have something and a bit left over for a rainy day for all of us. Now, it may very well be that this good soul might still pass away at the same time as the foolish man that same night. He isn't being taken because he did the right or the wrong thing. But then God will say to him, not, "you fool," but, "well done, my good and faithful servant. You've made yourself rich in my sight and in the sight of your brothers and sisters whom you have helped; now enter into your heavenly inheritance.And what a beautiful inheritance you have left behind." We know that God will do this, because other Kingdom parables show that same kind of situation, and this new and generous vision fills our hearts with joy.
This is how the man could have made himself rich in the sight of God and win lasting praise from people of goodwill everywhere. Whether he had a short life or a long life, his gratitude, his generosity, his service, his care for others would flow out into graciousness, care and compassion. May we use our gifts for the good of all and for the greater good of God's Kingdom.
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References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly
**SHARING THE WORD THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR. GUSTAVO GUTIERREZ.
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Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year C -(Sunday, 3 August 2025) (EPISODE: 541 )
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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{{May Our Lord's grace and love abide in you}}
My brothers and sisters, to prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries, let us call to mind our sins.
You were sent to heal the contrite of heart. Lord, have mercy.// You came to call sinners: Christ, have mercy. //You are seated at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us: Lord, have mercy.//
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
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Ps 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14+17. "In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge"
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Luke 12:13-21). Alleluia, alleluia! Happy the poor in Spirit; The Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
Memorial Acclamation
3. Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.
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PREFACE: Sundays Ordinary I
Eucharistic Prayer One
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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com
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Details relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly
Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)
Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)
"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.
Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993). (Sydney Australia).
Sung "Mass in Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" - By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria, Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org.
"Faith, Hope and Love" theme hymn - In memory of William John Kelly (1942-2017) - Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.
"Quiet Time." Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.
"Today I Arise" - For Trisha J Kelly. Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.
Sound Engineering and editing - P.W. Kelly.
Microphones: - Shure Motiv MV5 Digital Condenser. And (2024+) Rode Nt-1 + AI-1 Sound Mixer.
Editing equipment: -- MixPad Multitrack Studio Recording Software v10.49 (NCH Software).
NCH – WavePad Audio Editing Software. Masters Edition v 17.63 (NCH Software)
Sound Processing: iZotope RX 10 Audio Editor (Izotope Inc.)
Text transcription as per recorded podcast version is transcribed by TurboScribe.ai
{excellent and accurate transcription from voice to text}
[Production - KER - 2025]
May God bless and keep you.
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