Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc.
8TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Psalter: Week 4 / (Green/White)
St. Augustine of Canterbury, bishop
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 111: 1-2, 5-6, 9, 10c: The Lord will remember his covenant forever.
1st Reading: 1 Peter 1: 3-9
Let us praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for his great mercy. In raising Jesus Christ from the dead, he has given us new life, and a living hope. The inheritance that does not corrupt, nor goes bad, nor passes away, was reserved for you, in heaven, since God’s power shall keep you faithful, until salvation is revealed, in the last days.
There is cause for joy, then, even though you may, for a time, have to suffer many trials. Thus will your faith be tested, like gold in a furnace. Gold, however, passes away, but faith, worth so much more, will bring you, in the end, praise, glory and honor, when Jesus Christ appears.
You have not yet seen him and yet you love him; even without seeing him, you believe in him, and experience a heavenly joy beyond all words, for you are reaching the goal of your faith: the salvation of your souls.
Gospel: Mark 10: 17-27
Just as Jesus was setting out on his journey again, a man ran up, knelt before him and asked, “Good Master, what must I do to have eternal life?”
Jesus answered, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: Do not kill; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness; do not cheat; honor your father and mother.” The man replied, “I have obeyed all these commandments since my childhood.”
Then Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him; and he said, “For you, one thing is lacking. Go, sell what you have, and give the money to the poor; and you will have riches in heaven. Then, come, and follow me.” On hearing these words, his face fell and he went away sorrowful, for he was a man of great wealth.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were shocked at these words, but Jesus insisted, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
They were more astonished than ever and wondered, “Who, then, can be saved?” Jesus looked steadily at them and said, “For human beings it is impossible, but not for God; all things are possible with God.”
REFLECTION:
“Sell what you have.”
Today’s Gospel narrates a man who came to Jesus asking about what he must do to have eternal life. Jesus enumerated for him the commandments.
The man said that he had obeyed all the commandments since he was a child. Jesus looked at him, loved him, telling him what was still lacking: to be detached from his possessions.
The man went away sad because he was a man of great wealth. We may reflect on the fact that the man was not bad after all. He was, in fact, a pious man.
However, he was too attached to his wealth. Jesus challenged him to sell his possessions and give the money to the poor, and then to follow Jesus. The man went away sad because he could not leave his wealth behind. He was a slave to his material possessions. Not only did he possess them, he was also possessed by them.
In our journey of faith, we are challenged to be free from attachment to enslaving material possessions.
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