Unattached

The WORD today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/082018.cfm) reminds me that I should be unattached so I can follow God wholeheartedly. 

The gospel today shows us a man asking Jesus.. “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 told him the basics – to follow the commandments. The man, pretty much like all of us, said that he is trying to do these things. We all try to be good. However he did not stop there. He knows, like we all know, that he can still improve. He knows that what he is doing is not enough. He knows that he can do more. He asked again Jesus what he still lack. Then Jesus said something harder for him to do: “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."

In Mark’s account, it says that Jesus looked at him and loved him, and told him what he needed 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. This is what happened in the first reading. We see that the people have turned away from God. They forgot all the great things God has done for them, and just did what they wanted to do. they worshiped false gods. When we give too much importance to material things, then we lose the focus on God, then we forget about him and all he has done for us. The psalmist also reminds us of this, that we should not forget God, his goodness and his love. 

Only when we are detached from material things can we truly focus on God and can wholly follow Him

We cannot truly love and serve God if we focus on material things. We cannot love and serve God if our goal is to accumulate worldly power and riches. We cannot focus on God if we are distracted by what this world can offer. That is why we need to be detached from this world so we can focus on heavenly things. 

What am I clinging on right now? Do I follow God and want to 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 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, sorry for being attached to worldly things. Sorry for losing focus on you. Sorry for wanting a lot of worldly things. 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.

Blessed Week!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

August 20, 2018

Memorial of Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 419

Reading 1 EZ 24:15-23

The word of the LORD came to me:
Son of man, by a sudden blow
I am taking away from you the delight of your eyes,
but do not mourn or weep or shed any tears.
Groan in silence, make no lament for the dead,
bind on your turban, put your sandals on your feet,
do not cover your beard, and do not eat the customary bread.
That evening my wife died,
and the next morning I did as I had been commanded.
Then the people asked me, "Will you not tell us what all these things
that you are doing mean for us?"
I therefore spoke to the people that morning, saying to them:
Thus the word of the LORD came to me:
Say to the house of Israel:
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I will now desecrate my sanctuary, the stronghold of your pride,
the delight of your eyes, the desire of your soul.
The sons and daughters you left behind shall fall by the sword.
Ezekiel shall be a sign for you:
all that he did you shall do when it happens.
Thus you shall know that I am the LORD.
You shall do as I have done,
not covering your beards nor eating the customary bread.
Your turbans shall remain on your heads, your sandals on your feet.
You shall not mourn or weep,
but you shall rot away because of your sins and groan one to another.

Responsorial Psalm DEUTERONOMY 32:18-19, 20, 21

R. (see 18a) You have forgotten God who gave you birth.
You were unmindful of the Rock that begot you.
You forgot the God who gave you birth.
When the LORD saw this, he was filled with loathing
and anger toward his sons and daughters.
R. You have forgotten God who gave you birth.
"I will hide my face from them," he said,
"and see what will then become of them.
What a fickle race they are,
sons with no loyalty in them!"
R. You have forgotten God who gave you birth.
"Since they have provoked me with their 'no-god'
and angered me with their vain idols,
I will provoke them with a 'no-people';
with a foolish nation I will anger them."
R. You have forgotten God who gave you birth.

Alleluia MT 5:3

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 19:16-22

A young man approached Jesus and said,
"Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?"
He answered him, "Why do you ask me about the good?
There is only One who is good.
If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments."
He asked him, "Which ones?"
And Jesus replied, "You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
honor your father and your mother;
and you shall love your neighbor as yourself."
The young man said to him,
"All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?"
Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go,
sell what you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow me."
When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad,
for he had many possessions.