Monday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
(Romans 4:20-25; Luke 12:13-21)
The seventeenth century English poet George Herbert wrote a poem about creation called “The Pulley.” In it he describes God’s creating humanity with all blessings save one – rest. According to Herbert, God did not grant humans respite out of mercy, not meanness. He did not want them to be so satisfied with themselves that they might ignore the God who made them. Unfortunately, this is the hole that the rich man in the gospel today falls into.
The man is completely self-satisfied. He plans for himself, provides for himself, and even talks to himself. He does not think of the poor around him, much less of God. God, as we know, is just the opposite. He thinks of everyone, even the one who ignores Him. The man will die without having benefited from the fruit of his labors or from God. The Lord would have been overjoyed to have helped him if he would have just considered others besides himself and, perhaps, his family.
