The WORD today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/030419.cfm)
reminds me what to do to have eternal life, that I should be detached from everything in this world
so I can follow God wholeheartedly.
The
gospel today shows us a man asking Jesus.. “Good teacher, what must I do to
inherit eternal life…” Well, he certainly knew who Jesus was and
was humble enough to ask Jesus what he needs to do. Jesus
tells him the basics – follow the commandments. The man, like pretty much like
all of us, says he is trying to do these things. Then Jesus says something
harder for him.: “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will
have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."
God
knows when we can still give more. God pushes us to the limit so we can improve
and be more like Him.
We can see by his answer
that the man was looking for something. The man knows he must do
something else. When Jesus said he must follow the commandments, which he
already does, he knew he must do something else. Alam nya, kasi hindi nya
sinabing “yey, ok na ako, thanks!.” Jesus also saw what the man needed to
do. Jesus looked at him and loved him, and told him what he needs
to do. Yes, Jesus loved the man, even if Jesus
knew the man was not yet ready to give up everything for Him.
Good news – if we can
say that we have been doing (or at least have been trying to do) the
commandments that Jesus told the man, we are on the right path. We are halfway
there!
Bad news – is it not
enough. There is still something lacking. Jesus wants us to be detached from
material things.
Jesus is not telling us
getting rich is bad. Jesus is not telling us material wealth is bad. Of course
it is nice to be rich – especially if you would share
your blessings to those who need it. What’s bad is the attachment
to material things – money, power, fame, etc. It becomes dangerous if
accumulating such becomes the goal in life – when these things become the gods
ruling our lives, and we lose sight of eternity with God. When we
give too much importance to material things, then we lose the focus on
God.
Only
when we are detached from material things can we truly focus on God and can
wholly follow Him.
What am I clinging on
right now? Do I want to follow God and have eternal life? What is preventing me
from fully following God? Material things? A bad habit? An unhealthy relationship?
Do I feel that I cannot let go of these things? Do I believe in God when he
says he loves me, like he loved the man in the gospel? Do I pray to God to give
me the desire to let go, and ask him to help me all the way?
May we pray that God help us and grant us the desire to follow him and let go
of anything that is preventing us from fully following Him.
Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. thank you for another
week. Thank you for the gospel that reminds me that you love me and you want me
to be saved. Sorry for the times I cannot detach myself from this world. Sorry
for giving importance to things of this world. Lord, I ask that you help me
have the desire in my heart – to follow you and to rid myself of anything that
is hindering me from fully following you. Help me learn how to let go of the
enjoyable and fun things in life if they hinder me from fully following you. I
pray for faith – in you, your love, and your power in my life. May I live aware
of what I should do to glorify you. This I ask in Jesus name, Amen.
Blessed Week!
In Christ,
-g-
March 4 2019
Monday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 347
Lectionary: 347
Reading
1 SIR 17:20-24
To
the penitent God provides a way back,
he encourages those who are losing hope
and has chosen for them the lot of truth.
Return to him and give up sin,
pray to the LORD and make your offenses few.
Turn again to the Most High and away from your sin,
hate intensely what he loathes,
and know the justice and judgments of God,
Stand firm in the way set before you,
in prayer to the Most High God.
Who in the nether world can glorify the Most High
in place of the living who offer their praise?
Dwell no longer in the error of the ungodly,
but offer your praise before death.
No more can the dead give praise
than those who have never lived;
You who are alive and well
shall praise and glorify God in his mercies.
How great the mercy of the LORD,
his forgiveness of those who return to him!
he encourages those who are losing hope
and has chosen for them the lot of truth.
Return to him and give up sin,
pray to the LORD and make your offenses few.
Turn again to the Most High and away from your sin,
hate intensely what he loathes,
and know the justice and judgments of God,
Stand firm in the way set before you,
in prayer to the Most High God.
Who in the nether world can glorify the Most High
in place of the living who offer their praise?
Dwell no longer in the error of the ungodly,
but offer your praise before death.
No more can the dead give praise
than those who have never lived;
You who are alive and well
shall praise and glorify God in his mercies.
How great the mercy of the LORD,
his forgiveness of those who return to him!
Responsorial
Psalm PS
32:1-2, 5, 6, 7
R.
(11a) Let the just exult and rejoice
in the Lord.
Blessed is he whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R. Let the just exult and rejoice in the Lord.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, "I confess my faults to the LORD,"
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. Let the just exult and rejoice in the Lord.
For this shall every faithful man pray to you
in time of stress.
Though deep waters overflow,
they shall not reach him.
R. Let the just exult and rejoice in the Lord.
You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.
R. Let the just exult and rejoice in the Lord.
Blessed is he whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R. Let the just exult and rejoice in the Lord.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, "I confess my faults to the LORD,"
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. Let the just exult and rejoice in the Lord.
For this shall every faithful man pray to you
in time of stress.
Though deep waters overflow,
they shall not reach him.
R. Let the just exult and rejoice in the Lord.
You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.
R. Let the just exult and rejoice in the Lord.
Alleluia 2 COR 8:9
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
As
Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up,
knelt down before him, and asked him,
"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good?
No one is good but God alone.
You know the commandments: You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
you shall not defraud;
honor your father and your mother."
He replied and said to him,
"Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth."
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,
"You are lacking in one thing.
Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."
At that statement, his face fell,
and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,
"How hard it is for those who have wealth
to enter the Kingdom of God!"
The disciples were amazed at his words.
So Jesus again said to them in reply,
"Children, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God!
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle.
knelt down before him, and asked him,
"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good?
No one is good but God alone.
You know the commandments: You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
you shall not defraud;
honor your father and your mother."
He replied and said to him,
"Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth."
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,
"You are lacking in one thing.
Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."
At that statement, his face fell,
and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,
"How hard it is for those who have wealth
to enter the Kingdom of God!"
The disciples were amazed at his words.
So Jesus again said to them in reply,
"Children, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God!
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle.
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