Life Without Possessions

July 31, 2022
Sunday Nọmba 18 for Ordinary Time, Year C
Readings for Today

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“Make una take care, make una guard unaself against every kind of greed, because even if person rich, no be di things wey e get be im life.” Luke 12:15

Think how your life go be if you no get anything. Think say na only di cloth wey you wear you get, and you dey depend on other people generosity throughout your life. Even though, at first, this kind life fit look like life wey person no dey take responsibility, God dey call some people to live one form of this life for holy reason. People wey God call to strict religious life get reason why dem dey answer di call to live for poverty, without anything wey belong to dem personally. This Gospel show us di reason.

Too many times for life, di things wey we get dey take over our mind. Na true say material things fit add “sweetness” to life. Dem fit give us enjoyment, entertain us, comfort us, and other things. But di danger of tying our heart to di things of this world be say we go begin depend on di pleasure wey dem bring pass di spiritual riches wey get far greater value. No be say material things bad on their own; rather, na say di spiritual riches wey God want make we get get value wey pass dem without limit.

God no call most people to live without material possessions, but E call everybody to live with poverty for spirit. This mean say, even though we dey live for this world, we no suppose belong to di world. We suppose tie our heart only to di greatest treasures for life: faith, hope and love for God and our neighbour. When greed and love for material things draw us away from these spiritual treasures, we must give ourself afresh to discovering their great value.

Today, think about any struggle wey you get with greed. If this one no go down well with you, and you notice say you immediately dey try give reasons why e good to tie your heart to material things, then you fit need this reflection pass as you know. Di Lord want give you far more than wetin this world fit offer you. No choose to tie your heart to wetin be “cheap” when you look am from di side of eternity. Make effort to hold on to those true riches wey go remain with you forever.

Lord of true riches, help me make my heart always dey set on di riches wey You dey give, and make I never settle for those things wey no fit ever satisfy me fully. My dear Lord, na di wealth of Heaven I want, no be di riches of Earth. Help me make I live di poverty for spirit wey You call me to live, so that I go receive everything wey You want for me. Free me from greed and selfishness, and help me make I find true joy for Your holy will. Jesus, na You I trust.

Starting from Sunday, July 31: