What is Holding You Back? (Luke 12:13-21)

In today’s Gospel, Jesus invites us with a gentle but firm word: “Be on your guard. “Not just against money or possessions, but against anything that steals our peace and keeps our hearts small. He doesn’t say someone else will watch over us. We are to be our own guard. We are the best judges of what we are clinging to, of what fills our minds, our hands, and our hearts. We live in a world that is constantly holding onto land, to power, to name, to position. We see wars like in Gaza, families broken over inheritance, and tensions even within religious life, where titles or roles become more important than relationship or mission. The deep need to say “This is mine” can take over our way of thinking and living.

I’m often reminded of a quote I love: “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. “It reminds me of how little we truly “own,” and how easily we forget that everything we have is borrowed and entrusted to us for a time.

In today’s gospel, the rich man’s story is small: “I, me, and mine.” His wealth is plentiful, but his imagination is poor. He speaks only to himself. He never asks: “Who is this for? “What is enough?” Whose life is being changed by what I have?” The tragedy is that he never truly lived, not in relationship, not in gratitude, not in purpose. He had barns full of goods, but a soul starving for meaning. This parable is not about wealth, but about what we do with what we have, how we live, how we love, how we let go.

Even in religious life, we are not immune. Slowly, subtly, things are beginning to creep in: The position we hold becomes our identity. We define our worth by our title, influence, or role. We cling to the past -old ways of doing things, old assumptions about relevance and recognition. We fear letting go, because so much of who we believe we are tied to what we do. We grow complacent, choosing comfort over courage, routine over renewal. We settle into mediocrity, calling it “faithfulness. “Today let us ask ourselves.

How often do we do the same? From where do my choices flow? What am I holding that is holding me back? Is my identity anchored in Christ—or in the position I hold? Am I truly free inside? “Tonight, your life will be demanded of you...And what story will you leave behind?”

-  Lilly Pushpam PBVM