Introduction
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, A few years ago, a story made rounds about a wealthy chief who was celebrating his 70th birthday. The celebration was lavish; it was the talk of the town for weeks. He had everything money could buy: a palatial mansion, fleet of the latest cars, and children educated in the best universities abroad. During the celebration, he stood up to give a speech. He spoke of his hard work, his struggles, and how he had successfully built an empire for himself and his children. He declared, “Now I can finally rest. I have stored up enough for many years.
My soul can now eat, drink, and be merry.” However, the following week, the chief suffered a massive stroke and passed away. His vast empire became the subject of a bitter and public court case among his children. This story, which is all too familiar in our society, is a modern-day parable that mirrors the one Jesus told his audience in our Gospel reading today. It is a story that confronts us with a fundamental question: What is the true measure of a successful life?
What does it truly mean to be rich? Our readings today, on this Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, cut through the noise of our world — a world that screams, “More! More! More!! They call us to reconsider our priorities. The liturgy presents us with a powerful and sobering theme: the sheer madness of hoarding treasure for oneself while remaining poor in the sight of God.
The Emptiness of Earthly Toil (Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23)
Our First Reading from the book of Ecclesiastes opens with a dramatic and almost shocking declaration: “Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!” The author, Qoheleth, the Preacher, is not a pessimist; he is a realist. He looks at the world and sees a man who toils his entire life with wisdom and knowledge and skill, only to leave it all to someone who did not toil for it. He asks the poignant question that should echo in our hearts: “What profit comes to a man from all the toil and anxiety of heart with which he has labored under the sun?” This reading speaks directly to the heart of our Nigerian reality.
We live in a nation where the pursuit of wealth has become the ultimate life goal for many. It is a society that often equates success with the size of one’s bank account, the number of properties one owns, or the political power one wields. We see people work day and night, often sacrificing their health, family, and integrity on the altar of material acquisition. We see our youths nosediving into oblivion and destruction in their quest for quick money. And what about our political class? The Preacher’s words are a stark indictment of the endemic corruption that has plagued our nation.
We see leaders who, instead of working for the common good, focus on amassing wealth for themselves and their future generations. They toil, not with the “wisdom, knowledge and skill” for nation-building, but with a cunning and selfish ambition to loot the national treasury. They are like the man in Ecclesiastes, labouring under a great illusion, forgetting that one day they will leave it all behind. And for what? For a legacy of vanity, for a name that will be remembered with contempt. The reading forces us to ask: Is this the life God intends for us? Is this the legacy we want to leave behind?
Seeking What is Above (Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11)
St. Paul, in our Second Reading from the letter to the Colossians, offers us the antidote to the vanity described by Ecclesiastes. He tells us, “Since you have been 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.” Paul is not asking us to be irresponsible or to neglect our earthly duties. He is calling for a radical shift in our perspective. He is reminding us that our true home, our ultimate treasure, is not here on earth. We are citizens of heaven, and our lives should reflect that reality.
To “seek what is above” means to live a life that is guided by the values of the Gospel: love, justice, integrity, compassion, and service. It means putting to death the parts of us that are “earthly”—immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, envy, and greed. Paul calls greed “idolatry” because when we are consumed by the desire for more, we are essentially worshipping a false god. We are placing our trust and security in material possessions rather than in the living God. This call to “seek what is above” is a revolutionary message.
It is a call to our leaders to govern with the fear of God, to see their position not as an opportunity for self-enrichment, but as a sacred trust to serve the people. It is a call to all of us to reject the culture of corruption and to live lives of integrity, even when it is difficult. It is a reminder that our true identity is not found in our ethnic group, our social status, or our political affiliation, but in Christ, where there is “neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, freeman, but Christ is all and in all.”
The Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:13-21)
Finally, we come to our Gospel reading, where Jesus gives us the powerful parable of the rich fool. This man’s problem was not his wealth, but his attitude towards it. He was a successful farmer, and he had a bumper harvest. His response was to build bigger barns to store his grain. His focus was entirely on himself. Notice how many times he uses the words “I” and “my”: “What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops? I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.'” This man made a fatal miscalculation. He thought he was in control of his life and his future. He forgot about God. And God’s verdict is swift and severe: “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?” Jesus concludes the parable with the central message of all our readings today: “So it is for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.” My dear friends, this parable is a mirror held up to our society.
We see the “rich fool” in the politician who diverts public funds to a private account; in the businessman who exploits his workers for profit; in the priest and religious who thinks he or she has arrived after ordination or profession; and in the ordinary citizen who is willing to do anything (negative) to get rich quick. The mentality of the rich fool is the mentality that says, “It’s all about me.” It is a mentality that is blind to the needs of others and deaf to the voice of God.
Conclusion:
So, what does it mean to be “rich in what matters to God”? It means to have a heart that is generous and compassionate. It means to use our resources, whether they be great or small, for the good of others. It means to invest in things that have eternal value: love, relationships, and service to God and neighbour. As we come to the altar today to receive the Eucharist, the ultimate treasure, let us pray for a change of heart.
• Let us pray for our leaders, that they may be delivered from the folly of the rich fool and become true servant-leaders who work for the common good.
• Let us pray for ourselves, that we may be freed from the grip of greed and materialism, and that we may learn to seek the things that are above.
• Let us ask the Lord to teach us how to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12). Let us leave our parish communities today with a renewed commitment to store up treasures, not in bigger barns on earth, but in eternity. For it is only by giving our lives away in love and service to God and our neighbour that we will truly find them. Amen.
• Rev. Fr. Ogunyemi Temitope Hilary, Assistant Parish Priest, Holy Family Catholic Church, Festac Town, Lagos.
