Gospel Commentary for Sunday, August 3, 2025

“Beware of all kinds of greed”

Dear brothers and sisters, peace and goodwill.

On this Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, the readings invite us to reflect on the emptiness of material wealth and the importance of seeking eternal goods above all things.

Qohelet’s reflection on life is very relevant today. What does a person gain from all the hard work and worry that tires him under the sun? We are all overwhelmed with things to do and worries in this fast-paced world. What Qohelet calls “vanity” in the first reading is simply the disappointment people feel when they realize the gap between their dreams and the reality of how things turn out — they cannot go beyond their limits.

Today we might call this absurdity, depression, or lack of meaning. Vanity means refusing to recognize our limits. No one can escape the absurdity of their own existence. The only way out is to live life as it is: with ups and downs, with its limits, and with its end.

Qohelet advises his readers to enjoy life in a healthy and balanced way. But he cannot answer the deeper questions about the meaning of life. Only the Gospel gives us that answer. It is Jesus who opens up new horizons, teaching us not to chase empty illusions.

We Christians can also fall into this trap. We live from day to day, without thinking deeply. We don’t always understand what it truly means to be Christian. Sometimes we care more about the news or celebrity gossip than about our own inner life. This temptation is nothing new.

We know that, through Baptism, we have become new people, made in the image of God. But this process isn’t finished yet. Much work is needed before the “new person” appears. The road is long. We must be cleansed of many things, become completely Christ’s, and not lose heart. That is what Saint Paul reminds us in the second reading: let go of anything that keeps us from being united with Christ, and allow ourselves to become more like Him, until Christ is everything in all. We are called to be new people, always growing and being renewed.

It is wise and virtuous not to attach our hearts to the things of this world, because everything passes away and can end suddenly. For Christians, the true treasure we must always seek is found in the “things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” Saint Paul reminds us of this today in his letter to the Colossians, adding that our life “is hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:1–3).

Among the disciples there were many who followed Jesus but didn’t really understand Him. They were caught up in everyday problems and saw the Teacher as someone who could solve their family disputes. Their goal was not to welcome the Good News, but to reach personal goals: to gain something for themselves or their loved ones, as if that were the true purpose of life.

The exaggerated desire to possess changes our hearts and souls. In today’s Gospel, the rich man thinks only of himself. In his plans, he does not remember his family or his neighbors. He is only concerned about his own comfort. Yet concern for others is a good way to measure how well we are following Jesus. The more attached we are to money or possessions, the harder it is to be true disciples. We must seriously reflect on our relationship with wealth and greed.

The Solemnity of the Transfiguration of the Lord, which we will celebrate on Wednesday, invites us to lift our eyes “to the heights,” toward heaven. In the Gospel account of the Transfiguration on the mountain, we are given a glimpse of the kingdom of the saints. At the end of our earthly life, we too may share in the glory of Christ — a glory that will be complete and eternal. At that time, the whole universe will be transformed, and God’s plan of salvation will be fulfilled.

The parable confronts us with death. Many people are prepared to give perfect reports — about what they know, what they own, and the power they hold. But what really matters is to give an account of our life — not of what we’ve collected. In other words: What have you done with your life? How have you used it? In what direction have you gone? Jesus, in the end, accuses the rich man of not being wise. He could not see beyond the coming “night.” He made bigger barns, but did not widen his vision. He let himself be trapped in an earthly mindset, which ended up destroying him.

Each of us must examine our lives: are we being foolish, or are we really focusing on what is most important? This is why Jesus’ words are so urgent today: “Life is not found in possessions.” Life has value in itself. What matters is not what we have, but who we are. We can ask ourselves: Does our work bring dignity, or does it make us slaves with a paycheck? Do we study to grow as people, or only to make money? Are we aware of the standards that society tries to impose on us? Are we storing up treasures on earth, or in heaven? At the end of life, we will be judged on love — and bank accounts and credit cards won’t matter.

“May the Virgin Mary obtain this grace for us. Today we especially remember her by celebrating the liturgical memorial of the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. As is well known, this is the first basilica in the West built in honor of Mary, and it was rebuilt in the year 432 by Pope Sixtus III to celebrate the divine motherhood of the Virgin — a dogma that had been solemnly proclaimed by the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus the year before. The Virgin, who shared in Christ’s mystery more than any other creature, may she sustain us on our journey of faith, so that — as the liturgy invites us to pray today — ‘as we work with our strength to subdue the earth, we may not be overcome by greed and selfishness, but always seek what is valuable in God’s eyes’” (cf. Opening Prayer).
— Benedict XVI, Angelus, Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo, Sunday, August 5, 2007.

Your brother in the faith,