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, he 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."
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. In the gospel, it says that 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.
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.
Thank you for today. Thank you for last weekend. Thank you for this new week you gave me. Thank you for the gospel that reminds me that you love me and you want me to be saved. 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. I pray for faith – in you, your love, and your power in my life. May I live this week aware of what I should do to glorify you. This I ask in Jesus name, Amen.
FIRST READING
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!
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
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.
ALLELUIA
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL
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 than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.” They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For men it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God.”
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