20261019 RETIREMENT DREAM TURNED TO NIGHTMARE
19 October 2026, Monday, 29th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Ephesians 2:1-10 |
Sinners are saved in Christ Jesus
You were dead through the crimes and the sins in which you used to live when you were following the way of this world, obeying the ruler who governs the air, the spirit who is at work in the rebellious. We all were among them too in the past, living sensual lives, ruled entirely by our own physical desires and our own ideas; so that by nature we were as much under God’s anger as the rest of the world. But God loved us with so much love that he was generous with his mercy: when we were dead through our sins, he brought us to life with Christ – it is through grace that you have been saved – and raised us up with him and gave us a place with him in heaven, in Christ Jesus.
This was to show for all ages to come, through his goodness towards us in Christ Jesus, how infinitely rich he is in grace. Because it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith; not by anything of your own, but by a gift from God; not by anything that you have done, so that nobody can claim the credit. We are God’s work of art, created in Christ Jesus to live the good life as from the beginning he had meant us to live it.
Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 99(100) |
He made us, we belong to him.
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing for joy.
He made us, we belong to him.
Know that he, the Lord, is God.
He made us, we belong to him,
we are his people, the sheep of his flock.
He made us, we belong to him.
Go within his gates, giving thanks.
Enter his courts with songs of praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
He made us, we belong to him.
Indeed, how good is the Lord,
eternal his merciful love.
He is faithful from age to age.
He made us, we belong to him.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps24:4,5 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Teach me your paths, my God,
make me walk in your truth.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 12:13-21 |
Fool! This very night your soul will be demanded of you
A man in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Master, tell my brother to give me a share of our inheritance.’ ‘My friend,’ he replied, ‘who appointed me your judge, or the arbitrator of your claims?’ Then he said to them, ‘Watch, and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for a man’s life is not made secure by what he owns, even when he has more than he needs.’
Then he told them a parable: ‘There was once a rich man who, having had a good harvest from his land, thought to himself, “What am I to do? I have not enough room to store my crops.” Then he said, “This is what I will do: I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and store all my grain and my goods in them, and I will say to my soul: My soul, you have plenty of good things laid by for many years to come; take things easy, eat, drink, have a good time.” But God said to him, “Fool! This very night the demand will be made for your soul; and this hoard of yours, whose will it be then?” So it is when a man stores up treasure for himself in place of making himself rich in the sight of God.’
RETIREMENT DREAM TURNED TO NIGHTMARE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EPHESIANS 2:1-10; LUKE 12:13-21]
The parable of the rich farmer is a fitting story to remind us of how we should plan for our retirement. This rich man had a bountiful harvest–so many crops that he had more than enough for the rest of his life. He said to himself, “I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and store all my grain and my goods in them, and I will say to my soul: My soul, you have plenty of good things laid by for many years to come; take things easy, eat, drink, have a good time.” Indeed, his dream of a comfortable retirement was about to be realised.
In many ways, we are not much different from him. The rich farmer represents the typical person in today’s world. Long before we reach the age of 40, we are already preparing for retirement. It is somewhat ironic that our entire life’s purpose seems to revolve around preparing to stop working, as if retirement is the only time we can truly live. Before then, we must work hard and accumulate lots of wealth and property so that, upon retirement, we can finally enjoy ourselves, travel, “take things easy, eat, drink, and have a good time.” In other words, we act as though real life doesn’t begin until we retire! Many young people hope to make enough money to retire by age 50 so they can spend the rest of their days simply enjoying life.
To ensure we have enough for our later years, planning is essential. Organisations like the Central Provident Fund constantly remind us to plan for retirement and invest wisely so our nest egg will generate sufficient money to see us through our retirement years. Financial planners advise us on where to park our funds to grow our wealth for future use. It is, of course, not wrong to plan for the future–we must exercise prudence. The rich farmer’s mistake was not his plan to build bigger barns for his surplus grain, but rather the philosophy and rationale behind his accumulation of wealth.
First, like the rich farmer, we often mistakenly place our security and happiness in material wealth. We believe that if we have plenty of money, our lives will be secure and happy because we can afford luxury, comfort, travel, and ease without worrying about tomorrow. However, when we tie security to wealth, the natural result is greed and hoarding. Uncertain about the future, we become eager to amass more and more. Driven by the fear of lacking funds, we hoard–not only by preventing others from sharing in our wealth, but even by holding back from using it meaningfully ourselves.
This is precisely why Jesus refused to arbitrate a dispute between a man and his brother over an inheritance. Instead, Jesus broadened the man’s perspective and exposed his motives, saying: “Watch, and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for a man’s life is not made secure by what he owns, even when he has more than he needs.”
Second, like the rich farmer, we often confuse genuine happiness with mere pleasure and leisure. We are deluded into thinking that a good life means waking up every morning without responsibilities or commitments–living a carefree existence filled only with hobbies, dining out, playing golf, or watching movies and attending concerts. While these recreational activities rejuvenate us after hard work, they should never become our primary life goal. Real happiness comes from living meaningfully–by contributing to society, making a positive difference in people’s lives, serving others, and journeying alongside them. Unless we make ourselves useful, we will eventually feel useless. One of the saddest experiences in life is feeling unneeded and believing that our existence makes no difference to anyone.
The fundamental flaw in the rich farmer’s mindset was believing that happiness meant living solely for himself. He was entirely self-centred. Notice how frequently he used the words “I” and “my”–everything revolved around his own desires and sensual enjoyments. He had no thought for others. Such a life is as good as dead. In trying to live only for ourselves, we cease to truly live. St. Paul reminded the Ephesians of this: “You were dead, through the crimes and the sins in which you used to live when you were following the way of this world, obeying the ruler who governs the air, the spirit who is at work in the rebellious. We all were among them too in the past, living sensual lives, ruled entirely by our own physical desires and our own ideas.” When we yield to a selfish, sensual, and materialistic lifestyle, we become like living corpses, stripped of real purpose and meaning.
In truth, there is no “retirement” in life itself–the only retirement from life is death. As long as we are alive, we are called to stay active, remain useful, and contribute to our loved ones, our faith community, and society. If we spend our days merely eating, sleeping, and indulging in idle distraction, our bodies and minds will quickly deteriorate. Like the rich farmer, we risk hearing God say, “Fool! This very night the demand will be made for your soul.” Even after stepping back from formal employment, we need to stay engaged by doing good–serving the community, supporting the needy, or caring for family members. As our Lord warned: “So it is when a man stores up treasure for himself in place of making himself rich in the sight of God.” Sensual pleasures cannot satisfy us indefinitely; eventually, we reach a saturation point. To find true fulfilment, we must expand our hearts and minds to accommodate God and neighbour.
The rich farmer’s second mistake was living strictly for this temporal world. This reflects a common modern delusion fuelled by secularism, materialism, and consumerism. Today’s culture keeps reminding us, “You only live once,” suggesting that death is the absolute end and that we should simply maximise earthly pleasure while we can. If that phrase inspires us to live generously in service of others today, it serves a good purpose. But if it implies there is nothing beyond this earthly life, it deceives us. St. Paul reminds us that our true destiny is eternal life with Christ in heaven: “God loved us with so much love that he was generous with his mercy: when we were dead through our sins, he brought us to life with Christ – it is through grace that you have been saved – and raised us up with him and gave us a place with him in heaven, in Christ Jesus.” When we fail to realise that our homeland is in heaven, then we risk living carelessly, squandering our time, and forgetting that how we live now shapes our eternal destiny.
God has chosen us to share in His life and love. It is a gift from God: “This was to show for all ages to come, through his goodness towards us in Christ Jesus, how infinitely rich he is in grace. Because it is by grace that you have been saved through faith; not by anything of your own, but by a gift from God; not by anything that you have done, so that nobody can claim the credit.” God did not simply choose us; He chose us to share His life. The “good life” we are called to live–as He intended from the beginning–is a life defined by love and service, rather than the world’s self-centred focus on personal luxury and pleasure. It is only when we live our life to the fullest in this manner that we truly find ourselves. We become who we are called to be. We realise our true purpose and find fulfilment when we live out our innate potential.
At the end of our earthly journey, when we enter our permanent rest, we will have to render an account of our lives to God. When we stand before Him, earthly wealth will mean nothing; we cannot bring a single cent from our bank accounts. As the Lord asked, “And this hoard of yours, whose will it be then?” We must leave every physical asset behind. My hope is that we will have heavenly treasures to offer instead–for we can take nothing with us except our hearts, our virtues, our goodness, our friendships, and our love.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
