Today is Nov. 29, Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time.
In the Gospel for today’s Mass, we hear Jesus say, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Lk 21:33).
As the world shifts into a frenzy of sales and discounts on Black Friday, Jesus’ words in this verse serve as a call to reflect on what truly lasts. Each year, we see people rushing into stores, searching for the best deals, seeking satisfaction through material goods. That’s why this verse from Scripture is perfect for us to hear today! We are reminded that no purchase or possession can fulfill the deepest desires of the heart. Everything we buy, cherish and collect will one day fade. Only the words of Christ eternally remain.
Saints like St. Francis of Assisi and St. Thérèse of Lisieux teach us the beauty of simplicity and the freedom that comes from placing God above worldly goods. St. Francis, who famously renounced his wealth for a life of poverty and prayer, understood that true richness lies not in material gain but in the treasures of faith, hope and love. His life calls us to ask: Are we clinging to things that will pass away, or are we rooted in what endures?
Where did St. Thérèse find her prized possession? She writes in her autobiography, “What does please Him is to find me love my littleness, my poverty: it is the blind trust which I have in His Mercy. … There is my sole treasure, dearest Godmother, and why should it not be yours?”
The Church calls us to seek spiritual things. This is the very heart of the Gospel: Our lives are not defined by possessions but by love, sacrifice and devotion to God and neighbor.
In resisting the Black Friday rush, we’re choosing to focus on the things that build up the soul and bring lasting joy. Instead of seeking fulfillment in fleeting discounts, we can invest in the wealth of time spent with family, gratitude for God’s countless blessings and acts of charity for those in need. Every moment we spend choosing God over things brings us closer to the everlasting joy that cannot be bought or sold.
Prayer for today:
Stir up the will of your faithful, we pray, O Lord, that, striving more eagerly to bring your divine work to fruitful completion, they may receive in greater measure the healing remedies your kindness bestows. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
My Daily Visitor spiritual reflections are a dose of daily Catholic inspiration from Our Sunday Visitor magazine.
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