Readings and meditation on the Word of God on the 18th Sunday in ordinary time, August 3, 2025

Delivered by Lukita Ananda Putra dan Grace Larope from the Parish of Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Makassar and Evelyn Lo and Christiana Lengkong from the Parish of Saint Therese in the Archdiocese of Jakarta, Indonesia. Ecclesiastes 1: 2; 2: 21-23; Rs psalm 90: 3-4.5-6.12-13.14.17; Colossians 3: 1-5.9-11; Luke 12: 13-21.HOPE TO BECOME RICH The title for our meditation on this18th Sunday  in ordinary timeis: Hope To Become Rich. Naturally people in the world tend to make things,their fellow human beings, and non-material things to be their possessions. Itnormal for humans to have tendency to become rich. This is an element inherentin the human person and family or group of people. Hoping to be rich in thisworld becomes a basic desire. There is a family that has a habit ofpraying together, especially at night before or after meal. Every one reminds oneanother for that special opportunity so that all can participate. When one ortwo family members are rather late due to work outside, those in the house arewilling to wait. For the one who is out of town, he or she will pray alone, sothat it will be the same as those at home. In essence, every family membermakes this prayer together as a quality time, a very valuable opportunity theytreasure. Absent means a loss for the person concerned. By taking advantage of this specialopportunity, that family truly enjoys the real wealth or richness every memberand the entire family can have. What we mean by wealth, richness orpossession,  there are at least threeimportant elements we can reflect here. First is a sense of belonging to oneanother as a family. Here there is a family or home to be the first andfundamental element, therefore, people do not depend on the house, equipment,money and goods of this world. Every individual cares for each other and relateeach other so that they realize that none from them is excluded. Second, the sense of belonging issustained by the needs that unite every member to make a family. Notnecessarily people have a sense of belonging, create a strong binding amongthem and to be a very valuable home, if they do not strengthen their unity as afamily or community. The way to strengthen it is with regular meetings orencounters. Love and the need to complement each other will be stronger ifpeople regularly meet and interact. Third, a communion in and with God.Praying together, services and the priority for the glory of the kingdom of Godare the lifestyles of the followers of Christ. If Christians and followers ofChrist choose only the first two elements and are not complied with this third,they do not have the real wealth meant by God. We should hope for these richesto be our possessions: a sense of belonging as a neighbor, life in common aschildren of God, and the glory of God's kingdom. Don't make  your life useless just because these threethings are ignored. Let's pray. In the name of theFather ... O God, bless us that this Sunday celebration will be a renewedrichness for our journey of faith, and to make You our fundamental wealth inlife. Hail Mary full of grace ... In the name of the Father ...