The document summarizes the readings for the 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time. It discusses how the readings point to the fleeting nature of material possessions and the need to focus on spiritual things. It then provides summaries of each reading: the First Reading from Ecclesiastes discusses the vanity of material wealth; the Second Reading from Paul's letter to the Colossians exhorts the faithful to set their minds on heavenly things; the Gospel reading recounts Jesus telling the parable of the rich fool to a man who asked him to divide an inheritance.

1. 18TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME
July 31,2022

2. O God, come to my
assistance; O Lord,
make haste to help me!
You are my rescuer, my
help; O Lord, do not
delay. (Ps 69:2, 6)
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON

3. The Readings we have for this Sunday point to the fleeting
nature of material possessions and the need to focus on
spiritual things. The opening lines of the First Reading from
the Book of Ecclesiastes are, “Vanity of vanities! All is
vanity.” The Gospel reconfirms how useless and vain are the
material possessions by citing the example of a rich man who
had abundance of wealth and considered it as an end in itself.
But he had to leave everything on an unexpected day. St Paul
reminds us, in the Second Reading, to set our minds on things
that are above and not on the passing things of this world. Let
not any of our possessions become obsessions. There is more
to life than the accumulation of possessions. The only lasting
possession is what we accumulate for heaven. We pause and
ask ourselves: Am I able to rise above materialism and place
my trust in God? (Pause)
PENITENTIAL RITE

4. I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers
and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts
and in my words, in what I have done and in what I
have failed to do,
through my fault, through my fault, through my most
grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-
Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers
and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us
our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

5. Draw near to your servants, O
Lord, and answer their prayers
with unceasing kindness, that,
for those who glory in you as
their Creator and guide, you
may restore what you have
created and keep safe what
you have restored. Through
our Lord Jesus Christ, your
Son, who lives and reigns with
you in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, one God, forever and
ever. Amen.
COLLECT

6. INTRODUCTION TO
FIRST READING
The overall theme of today’s liturgy of the
Word is that without God all human actions
turn to futility. The passage from the book of
Ecclesiastes supports this view. It is also true
that human life is full of pain and suffering
and our minds are not always at peace. But a
God-fearing person can find meaning in all
these. Towards the end of his book, the
author also reaches this conclusion for he
reminds us of a future time when God will
bring all things to judgement. Only when God
is taken into account and His will observed
does life impart purpose and satisfaction.

7. FIRST READING
The author considers it as vanity if the profit of a person’s hard work
goes to another who has done nothing for it.

8. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is
vanity. Sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and
knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by
someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great
evil. What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart
with which he toils beneath the sun? For all his days are full
of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his
heart does not rest. This also is vanity.
A reading from the Book of Ecclesiastes (1:2; 2:21-23)
The Word of the Lord

10. You turn man back to dust, and say, “Return, O children of men.” To your eyes a
thousand years are like yesterday, come and gone, or like a watch in the night.
R/
You sweep them away like a dream, like grass which is fresh in the morning. In
the morning it sprouts and is fresh; by evening it withers and fades. R/
Then teach us to number our days, that we may gain wisdom of heart. Turn
back, O LORD! How long? Show pity to your servants. R/
At dawn, fill us with your merciful love; we shall exult and rejoice all our days.
Let the favour of the LORD our God be upon us; give success to the work of our
hands. O give success to the work of our hands. R/
Response: O Lord, you have been our refuge, from generation to
generation.

11. INTRODUCTION TO
SECOND READING
In this passage Paul urges us to set our
goals on things above and opines that by
the merit of our baptismal death we are
dwelling in the heavenly realm in union
with Christ. Paul then gives a list of vices
which we must get away with. The vices
mentioned are immorality, impurity,
passion, evil desire, etc. Paul reminds us
that these vices will bring on us God’s
anger.

12. Paul exhorts the Colossians to set their minds on things that are above.
SECOND READING

13. Brethren, if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are
above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on
things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died,
and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life
appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death
therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil
desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Do not lie to one another,
seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on
the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its
creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised,
barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
A reading from the Letter of St Paul to the Colossians (3:1-5, 9-11)
The Word of the Lord

14. Alleluia. Alleluia. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven. Alleluia. (Mt 5:3)
ACCLAMATION

15. A man wants Jesus to settle his property issues. Instead of heeding his
plea, Jesus tells the parable of the rich fool.
GOSPEL READING

16. At that time, someone in the crowd said to Jesus,
“Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with
me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or
arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care,
and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s
life does not consist in the abundance of one’s
possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The
land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to
himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my
crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this:
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Luke (12:13-21)

17. I will tear 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.” But God said
to him, “Fool! This night your soul is required of you,
and the things you have prepared, whose will they
be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and
is not rich towards God.”
The Gospel of the Lord

18. Cel: Dear brothers and sisters, Jesus
reminds us that our life is not made
secure by what we own. We need
to grow to have a true sense of
values and recognize that our life
cannot be measured in terms of
material possessions. Let us pray for
the grace to keep our eyes always
focused on God, saying,
PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL

19. 1. For the Holy Mother Church that her leaders may
continue to teach and spread the Good News
diligently even in the face of daunting difficulties, we
pray… R/
2. For the leaders of our nation that they may
recognize that the people in their charge are the
adopted children of God, and always put God first in
every decision they make, we pray… R/
3. For those who are suffering different kinds of
pains, insults, anxieties and persecutions because of
their faith in God, that they may persevere through
the grace and strength of the Holy Spirit, we pray…
R/
Response:
Lord, make us rich
before you.

20. (Pray for community and personal needs)
4. For farmers around the world that they may
be blessed with good health to work, good
climate and facilities to produce healthy crops,
and that they may be fairly compensated for
their work, we pray… R/
5. For those who are materially well off, that
they may have the goodwill and generosity to
share their resources with the poor and the less
fortunate and thus find themselves wealthy
before God, we pray… R/
Response:
Lord, make us rich
before you.

21. Cel: God our loving Father, we thank you for providing us more than for
our needs. We enjoy your abundance, yet often we are seduced by
accumulation. Free us from the temptation to be greedy and make us more
generous. Release us from insecurity and restore us to contentment with
the treasures of your realm. We make this prayer …

22. PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS
Graciously sanctify these gifts, O Lord,
we pray, and, accepting the oblation
of this spiritual sacrifice, make of us
an eternal offering to you. Through
Christ our Lord.

23. Holy Holy……….
PREFACE II (Ordinary)
It is truly right and just, our duty and our
salvation, always and everywhere to give you
thanks, Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal
God, through Christ our Lord.
For out of compassion for the way-wardness that
is ours, he humbled himself and was born of the
Virgin; by the passion of the Cross he freed us
from unending death, and by rising from the dead
he gave us life eternal.
And so, with Angels and Archangels, with Thrones
and Dominions, and with all the hosts and Powers
of heaven, we sing the hymn of your glory, as
without end we acclaim:

24. You have given us, O Lord,
bread from heaven,
endowed with all delights
and sweetness in every taste.
(Wis 16:20)
COMMUNION
ANTIPHON

25. PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Accompany with constant
protection, O Lord, those you
renew with these heavenly
gifts and, in your never-
failing care for them, make
them worthy of eternal
redemption. Through Christ
our Lord.