Mass Readings for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
- First Reading – Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23: "For what profit comes to man from all the toil and anxiety of heart with which he has labored under the sun?"
- Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 90: "If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts."
- Second Reading – Colossians 3:1-5, 9-1: "Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."
- Gospel - Luke 12:13-21: "You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?"
Themes for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
The readings for 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C are a warning against becoming to attached to worldly goods and temporary pleasures. In the first reading we are warned that the things of this world will not bring us lasting joy. The psalm reminds us that our days hear are numbered. In the second reading we are reminded to focus on our spiritual lives. In the gospel Jesus tells the parable of the Rich Fool who put all of his energy into acquiring wealth and then suddenly died.
- Detachment from the things of this world
- Enriching our spiritual lives
- Care for the poor
- Using material wealth for the common good
See the Homilies and Reflections section and the More Thoughts section for further expansion on these readings and some reflection questions for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C.
Resources for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
Eternal God Prayer
This prayer praises the Eternal God. Our Heavenly Father is everlasting and we are limited. We should use our time to serve God. This prayer is based on Psalm 90, which is the responsorial psalm for this Sunday.
Treasure Hunt Game
Treasure Hunt is a really easy activity to do either indoors or outdoors. And your older VBS or youth ministry students will enjoy it as much as the younger ones.
Homilies and Reflections for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
You Can't Take It With You
From Bishop Robert Barron. No matter how good, how beautiful a state of affairs is here below, it is destined to pass into nonbeing. That sunset that I enjoyed last night—that radiantly beautiful display—is now forever gone. It lasted only a while. That beautiful person—attractive, young, full of life, creative, joyful—will eventually age, get sick, break down, and die.
Where Is Your Heart?
Do you give your time and passion to what is of God or what is of this world? Jeff Cavins reflects.
Bigger Barns or Treasure in Heaven?
Also from Bishop Barron. All three of our readings for this weekend speak of a primordial spiritual truth—that is to say, the need to detach oneself from the goods of this world. This has nothing to do with hatred of this world or of matter or the flesh; all of that sort of dualism is repugnant to the Bible. It has to do with a “wearing lightly” of this world and its goods, even as those goods are acknowledged and celebrated.
The Fool’s Vanity
From Scott Hahn. Trust in God- as the Rock of our salvation, as the Lord who made us His chosen people, as our shepherd and guide. This should be the mark of our following of Jesus. We must take care to guard against the folly that befell the Israelites, that led them to quarrel and test God’s goodness at Meribah and Massah.
More Thoughts for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
For some reason the desire for more and more seems to be imprinted in our nature. Just like Adam and Eve, we are grasping, reaching out for more. We are not satisfied with what God has provided for us. But material goods cannot be the purpose of life for a Christian.
Putting energy into wealth, power, and social standing distracts us from our Christian mission of serving God and spreading the Good News. While material things are not necessarily bad, letting them become "gods" is idolatry. Only the one true God can really bring us lasting peace. Any happiness derived from these worldly pursuits is temporary.
Our treasures must be mercy, love, kindness, and charity. When we pursue these, then we have heard our Lord's message and are on the path of a true disciple.
Reflection Questions for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
- Where do I focus most of my time and energy?
- Am I sometimes motivated by wealth, power, and impressing others?
- What heavenly treasures have I stored up lately?
Quotes and Social Media Graphics for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.
It makes no sense to accumulate if one day we will die. What we must accumulate is love, and the ability to share, the ability not to remain indifferent when faced with the needs of others.
Pope Francis
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