God creates each person for good works and provides everything needed for salvation. Scripture recounts the parable of a man who plans to live it up for years after a bountiful harvest but does not live even one more day. Jesus told the story, challenging the faithful not to store up earthly treasure at the expense of what matters to God. This week’s readings use various images for the Lord and His Church. Picture Jesus as the top, wedge-shaped stone that holds an arched entranceway together, central to the faithful who become part of a Church under construction—a dwelling place of God. Like a gardener cultivating and fertilizing so that an unproductive tree may bear fruit, the Lord does not give up on people. The gifts of grace and faith come from God, who wants us to use our blessings fruitfully. With Christ as the Head and people as members of His Body, each one matters. If Jesus came today, would He find the love He treasures or hearts as hard as stone or petrified wood?