Have you heard the expression: on their deathbed no one ever says, “I wish I had spent more time in the office.” It is so easy for us to become consumed with getting more and it can skew our sense of values. Jesus warns us: “Take care to guard against all greed.” As the parable of the rich man’s harvest illustrates even when we have enough, we are tempted to want more. St. John Chrysostom has a powerful sermon reflecting on the parable where he says that the proper place to store the excess food was not in bigger barns but in the bellies of those who are hungry. All of which reminds us that our life as believers is an echo of our relationship with God. God is the giver, pouring forth divine life in creation, in redemption, in grace. As people of God we are called to be givers as well. As we have received from God so we should give. As the one people of God we have a call to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to share in the bounty of God which has blessed us.
