Monday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary
Time
Lectionary: 419
Lectionary: 419
The children of Israel offended the LORD by serving the Baals.
Abandoning the LORD, the God of their fathers,
who led them out of the land of Egypt,
they followed the other gods of the various nations around them,
and by their worship of these gods provoked the LORD.
Because they had thus abandoned him and served Baal and the Ashtaroth,
the anger of the LORD flared up against Israel,
and he delivered them over to plunderers who despoiled them.
He allowed them to fall into the power of their enemies round about
whom they were no longer able to withstand.
Whatever they undertook, the LORD turned into disaster for them,
as in his warning he had sworn he would do,
till they were in great distress.
Even when the LORD raised up judges to deliver them
from the power of their despoilers,
they did not listen to their judges,
but abandoned themselves to the worship of other gods.
They were quick to stray from the way their fathers had taken,
and did not follow their example of obedience
to the commandments of the LORD.
Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, he would be with the judge
and save them from the power of their enemies
as long as the judge lived;
it was thus the LORD took pity on their distressful cries
of affliction under their oppressors.
But when the judge died,
they would relapse and do worse than their ancestors,
following other gods in service and worship,
relinquishing none of their evil practices or stubborn conduct.
Abandoning the LORD, the God of their fathers,
who led them out of the land of Egypt,
they followed the other gods of the various nations around them,
and by their worship of these gods provoked the LORD.
Because they had thus abandoned him and served Baal and the Ashtaroth,
the anger of the LORD flared up against Israel,
and he delivered them over to plunderers who despoiled them.
He allowed them to fall into the power of their enemies round about
whom they were no longer able to withstand.
Whatever they undertook, the LORD turned into disaster for them,
as in his warning he had sworn he would do,
till they were in great distress.
Even when the LORD raised up judges to deliver them
from the power of their despoilers,
they did not listen to their judges,
but abandoned themselves to the worship of other gods.
They were quick to stray from the way their fathers had taken,
and did not follow their example of obedience
to the commandments of the LORD.
Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, he would be with the judge
and save them from the power of their enemies
as long as the judge lived;
it was thus the LORD took pity on their distressful cries
of affliction under their oppressors.
But when the judge died,
they would relapse and do worse than their ancestors,
following other gods in service and worship,
relinquishing none of their evil practices or stubborn conduct.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 106:34-35, 36-37,
39-40, 43AB AND 44
R. (4a) Remember
us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
They did not exterminate the peoples,
as the LORD had commanded them,
But mingled with the nations
and learned their works.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
They served their idols,
which became a snare for them.
They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to demons.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
They became defiled by their works,
and wanton in their crimes.
And the LORD grew angry with his people,
and abhorred his inheritance.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
Many times did he rescue them,
but they embittered him with their counsels.
Yet he had regard for their affliction
when he heard their cry.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
They did not exterminate the peoples,
as the LORD had commanded them,
But mingled with the nations
and learned their works.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
They served their idols,
which became a snare for them.
They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to demons.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
They became defiled by their works,
and wanton in their crimes.
And the LORD grew angry with his people,
and abhorred his inheritance.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
Many times did he rescue them,
but they embittered him with their counsels.
Yet he had regard for their affliction
when he heard their cry.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
AlleluiaMT 5:3
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 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.
"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.
For the readings of the Optional Memorial of Saint John Eudes, please go here.
Meditation:
"Give - and
you will have treasure in heaven"
Where
can you find true peace, security, and happiness?
A young man who had the best the world could offer - wealth, position, and security - came to Jesus because he lacked one thing. He wanted the kind of lasting peace and happiness which money and possessions could not buy him. The answer he got, however, was not what he was looking for. He protested that he kept all the commandments - but Jesus spoke to the trouble in his heart. One thing kept him from giving himself wholeheartedly to God. While he lacked nothing in material goods, he was nonetheless possessive of what he had. He placed his hope and security in what he possessed. So when Jesus challenged him to make God his one true possession and treasure, he became dismayed.
A young man who had the best the world could offer - wealth, position, and security - came to Jesus because he lacked one thing. He wanted the kind of lasting peace and happiness which money and possessions could not buy him. The answer he got, however, was not what he was looking for. He protested that he kept all the commandments - but Jesus spoke to the trouble in his heart. One thing kept him from giving himself wholeheartedly to God. While he lacked nothing in material goods, he was nonetheless possessive of what he had. He placed his hope and security in what he possessed. So when Jesus challenged him to make God his one true possession and treasure, he became dismayed.
What
do you treasure the most?
Why did he go away from Jesus with sadness rather than with joy? His treasure and his hope for happiness were misplaced. Treasure has a special connection to the heart, the place of desire and longing, the place of will and focus. The thing we most set our heart on is our highest treasure. The Lord himself is the greatest treasure we can possibly have. Giving up everything else to have the Lord as our treasure is not sorrowful, but the greatest joy. See Jesus' parable about the treasure hidden in a field (Matthew 13:44). Selling all that we have could mean many different things - our friends, our job, our style of life, what we do with our free time.
Why did he go away from Jesus with sadness rather than with joy? His treasure and his hope for happiness were misplaced. Treasure has a special connection to the heart, the place of desire and longing, the place of will and focus. The thing we most set our heart on is our highest treasure. The Lord himself is the greatest treasure we can possibly have. Giving up everything else to have the Lord as our treasure is not sorrowful, but the greatest joy. See Jesus' parable about the treasure hidden in a field (Matthew 13:44). Selling all that we have could mean many different things - our friends, our job, our style of life, what we do with our free time.
Possessiveness
and fear robs us of joy and abundant life
Jesus challenged the young man because his heart was possessive. He was afraid to give to others for fear that he would lose what he had gained. Those who are generous towards God and others find that they cannot outmatch God in generosity. God blesses us with innumerable spiritual goods - such as long-lasting peace, unspeakable joy, enduring love, abiding relationships and friendship that do not fade or fail - that far outweigh the fleeting joys of material possessions which fail to satisfy us beyond the present moment. God alone can satisfy the deepest longing and desires of our heart. Are you willing to part with anything that might keep you from seeking true and everlasting joy with Jesus?
Jesus challenged the young man because his heart was possessive. He was afraid to give to others for fear that he would lose what he had gained. Those who are generous towards God and others find that they cannot outmatch God in generosity. God blesses us with innumerable spiritual goods - such as long-lasting peace, unspeakable joy, enduring love, abiding relationships and friendship that do not fade or fail - that far outweigh the fleeting joys of material possessions which fail to satisfy us beyond the present moment. God alone can satisfy the deepest longing and desires of our heart. Are you willing to part with anything that might keep you from seeking true and everlasting joy with Jesus?
"Lord
Jesus, you alone can satisfy the deepest longing in my heart. No other treasure
can compare with you. Keep me free from all discontentment, possessiveness,
greed and selfishness, that I may have joy in knowing that you alone are my
true Treasure and my Portion."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: Seek the life that endures, by
Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"The
Lord said to a certain young man, 'If you would enter life, keep the
commandments.' He did not say 'If you would have life' but 'If you would enter
life,' defining that life as eternal life. Let us first consider then the love
of this life. For this life is loved, whatever its quality - and however
troubled it is, however wretched, people are afraid to end it. Hence we should
see, we should consider, how much eternal life is to be loved, when this
miserable life that must at some time be ended is so loved. Consider, brothers,
how much that life is to be loved when it is a life you never end. You love
this life, where you work so much, run, are busy, pant. In this busy life the
obligations can scarcely be counted: sowing, plowing, working new land,
sailing, grinding, cooking, weaving. And after all this hard work your life
comes to an end. Look at what you suffer in this wretched life that you so
love. And do you think that you will always live and never die? Temples, rocks,
marbles, all reinforced by iron and lead, still fall. And a person thinks that
he will never die? Learn therefore, brothers, to seek eternal life, when you
will not endure these things but will reign with God forever." (excerpt
from Sermon 84,1)
MONDAY, AUGUST 19, MATTHEW 19:16-22
Weekday
(Judges 2:11-19; Psalm 106)
Weekday
(Judges 2:11-19; Psalm 106)
KEY VERSE: "Give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven" (v. 21).
TO KNOW: On his journey toward his destiny in Jerusalem, Jesus' left Galilee and went south to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. Large crowds followed him, and he cured many. A young man approached him and asked what he might do to inherit eternal life. The man was thinking in terms of keeping rules and regulations. So Jesus tried to correct his view. He told him that righteousness flows from a personal relationship with God. It is lived out by obeying the commandments, which reflect divine goodness. The man remarked that he had observed the entire law, yet still felt there was something more that he could do. Jesus told him that if he wished to be 'perfect' (In Greek, teleios means 'reaching a goal'), he should share his wealth with the poor and commit himself totally to God's service. The young man went away sad because he was unable to relinquish his many possessions. Obeying God's commands is a step on the road to perfection, but following Jesus demands total commitment of one's life.
TO LOVE: Do I use my gifts for the sake of God's kingdom?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to let go of anything that stands in the way of following you.
Optional Memorial of Saint John Eudes, priest
John Eudes was a farmer's son who joined the Congregation of the Oratory of France and was ordained a priest at age 24. At age 32, John became a parish missionary. His gifts as preacher and confessor won him great popularity. In his concern with the spiritual improvement of the clergy, he realized that the greatest need was for seminaries. He had permission from his general superior and the bishop to begin this work. The same year he founded a new religious community called the Eudists (Congregation of Jesus and Mary), devoted to the formation of the clergy by conducting diocesan seminaries. In his parish mission work, John was disturbed by the sad condition of prostitutes who sought to escape their miserable life. The result was another new religious community, called the Sisters of Charity of the Refuge. His devotion to the Sacred Heart and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary led Pius XI to declare him the father of the religious cult of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
Monday 19 August 2019
Judges 2:11-19. Psalm 105(106):34-37, 39-40, 43-44. Matthew 19:16-22.
Lord, remember us, for the love you bear your people – Psalm
105(106):34-37, 39-40, 43-44.
‘Then come, follow me.’
Today’s passage from Matthew is normally entitled ‘The Rich
Young Man’. He asks Jesus: ‘What good thing must I do to have eternal life?’ As
though there were only one way. On the contrary, it is true to say that there
are as many ways to God as there are people.
Each of us follows the way that seems best for each of us
according to the circumstances of our lives – as long as that embraces the two
essential commandments that we know so well. So often the road to eternal life
seems to consist in loving our neighbour. The young man tells Jesus that he has
kept all the commandments and asks what more he could do.
Jesus challenged him to let go of his many possessions, ‘then
come, follow me’. How does Jesus invite, challenge and call me today?
Saint John Eudes
Saint of the Day for August 19
(November 14, 1601 – August 19, 1680)
 |
| Stained glass window in Saint-Pierre de Dourdain | photo by GO69 |
Saint John Eudes’ Story
How little we know where God’s grace will lead. Born on a farm
in northern France, John died at 79 in the next “county” or department. In that
time, he was a religious, a parish missionary, founder of two religious
communities, and a great promoter of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
John joined the religious community of the Oratorians and was
ordained a priest at 24. During severe plagues in 1627 and 1631, he volunteered
to care for the stricken in his own diocese. Lest he infect his fellow
religious, during the plague he lived in a huge cask in the middle of a field.
At age 32, John became a parish missionary. His gifts as a
preacher and confessor won him great popularity. He preached over 100 parish
missions, some lasting from several weeks to several months.
In his concern with the spiritual improvement of the clergy,
John realized that the greatest need was for seminaries. He had permission from
his general superior, the bishop, and even Cardinal Richelieu to begin this
work, but the succeeding general superior disapproved. After prayer and
counsel, John decided it was best to leave the religious community.
That same year John founded a new community, ultimately called
the Eudists—the Congregation of Jesus and Mary–devoted to the formation of the
clergy by conducting diocesan seminaries. The new venture, while approved by
individual bishops, met with immediate opposition, especially from Jansenists
and some of his former associates. John founded several seminaries in Normandy,
but was unable to get approval from Rome—partly, it was said, because he did
not use the most tactful approach.
In his parish mission work, John was disturbed by the sad
condition of prostitutes who sought to escape their miserable life. Temporary
shelters were found, but arrangements were not satisfactory. A certain
Madeleine Lamy, who had cared for several of the women, one day said to him,
“Where are you off to now? To some church, I suppose, where you’ll gaze at the
images and think yourself pious. And all the time what is really wanted of you
is a decent house for these poor creatures.” The words, and the laughter of
those present, struck deeply within him. The result was another new religious
community, called the Sisters of Charity of the Refuge.
John Eudes is probably best known for the central theme of his
writings: Jesus as the source of holiness; Mary as the model of the Christian
life. His devotion to the Sacred Heart and to the Immaculate Heart led Pope
Pius XI to declare him the father of the liturgical cult of the Hearts of Jesus
and Mary.
Reflection
Holiness is the wholehearted openness to the love of God. It is
visibly expressed in many ways, but the variety of expression has one common
quality: concern for the needs of others. In John’s case, those who were in
need were plague-stricken people, ordinary parishioners, those preparing for
the priesthood, prostitutes, and all Christians called to imitate the love of
Jesus and his mother.
Lectio Divina: Matthew 19:16-22
Lectio Divina
Monday, August 19, 2019
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
God our Father,
may we love You in all things and above all things
and reach the joy You have prepared for us
beyond all our imagining.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
may we love You in all things and above all things
and reach the joy You have prepared for us
beyond all our imagining.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 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.
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today speaks to us about a young man who asks Jesus
which is the way to eternal life. Jesus indicates to him the way of poverty.
The young man does not accept Jesus’ proposal because he is very rich. A rich
person is protected by the security of the riches which he possesses. He has
difficulty opening the hand of his security. Attached to the advantages of his
goods, he lives only to defend his own interests. A poor person does not have
this concern. But there are some poor people who have the mentality of the
rich. Often the desire for riches creates in the poor a great dependence and
renders them slaves of consumerism, because they seek riches everywhere. They
no longer have time to dedicate themselves to the service of neighbor.
• Matthew 19:16-19: The commandments and eternal life. A person approaches Jesus and asks Him, “Master, what good deed should I do to possess eternal life?” Some manuscripts say that it was a young man. Jesus responds abruptly, “Why do you ask Me about what is good? There is One alone who is good!” Then He responds to the question and says, “If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” The rich young man reacts and asks, “Which commandments?” Jesus very kindly enumerates the commandments which the young man already knew: “You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor father and mother; love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus’ response is very significant. The young man had asked what to do to obtain eternal life. He wanted to live close to God! But Jesus recalls only the commandments which refer to respect for the life close to others! He does not mention the first three commandments which deal with relationship with God. According to Jesus, we will be well with God only if we are well with our neighbor. It is not worth deceiving oneself. The door to reach God is our neighbor.
In Mark, the question of the young man is different: “Good Master what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answers, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good, but God alone.” (Mk 10:17-18). Jesus turns the attention from Himself toward God, because what is important is to do God’s will, to reveal the project of the Father.
• Matthew 19:20: What is the use of observing the commandments? The young man responds, “I have always observed all these things. What more do I need to do?” What follows is strange. The young man wanted to know the way which leads to eternal life. Now, the way of eternal life was and continues to be this: to do God’s will, expressed in the commandments. In other words, the young man observed the commandments without knowing for what purpose. If he had known it, he would not have asked the question. It is like for many Catholics who do not know why they are Catholics. “I was born a Catholic, and this is why I am Catholic!” It is as if it was a custom!
• Matthew 19:21-22: Jesus’ proposal and the young man’s response. Jesus answers, “If you wish to be perfect, go and sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have a treasure in heaven; then come follow Me.” But on hearing these words the young man went away very sad because he was very rich. The observance of the commandments is only the first degree of a stairway that goes beyond, much farther and much higher. Jesus asks more! The observance of the commandments prepares people to be able to reach the point of giving oneself completely to the neighbor. Mark says that Jesus looked at the young man with love (Mk 10:21). Jesus asks for very much, but He asks for it with much love. The young man did not accept Jesus’ proposal and goes away “because he was very rich.”
• Jesus and the option for the poor. A two-fold slavery marked the situation of the people at the time of Jesus: the slavery of the politics of Herod, supported by the Roman Empire and maintained by a whole system which was well organized for exploitation and repression, and the slavery of the official religion, maintained by the religious authority of the time. For this reason the clan, the families, the community, were disintegrating and the majority of the people were excluded, marginalized, homeless, without either a religion or a society. So, for this reason, there were various movements which, like Jesus, tried to build up life in communities: Essenes, Pharisees and, later on, the Zealots. But in Jesus’ community, there was something new which made it different from the other groups: the attitude concerning the poor and the excluded. The communities of the Pharisees lived separated. The word “Pharisee” meant “separated.” This was the attitude concerning the poor and the excluded. The communities of the Pharisees lived separated from the impure people. Some Pharisees considered the people ignorant and damned (Jn 7:49) in sin (Jn 9:34). They could learn nothing from the people (Jn 9:34). On the contrary, Jesus and His community lived in the midst of people who were excluded, considered impure; tax collectors, sinners, prostitutes, lepers (Mk 2:16; 1:41; Lk 7:37). Jesus recognizes the richness and the values which the poor possess (Mt 11: 25-26; Lk 21:1-4). He proclaims them blessed, because the Kingdom is theirs, of the poor (Lk 6:20; Mt 5:3). He defines His mission in this way: “To announce the good news to the poor” (Lk 4:18). He Himself lives poorly. He possesses nothing for Himself, not even a stone to lay His head on (Lk 9:58). And to anyone who wants to follow Him, who wants to live like Him, He orders that that person choose either God or money! (Mt 6:24). He orders His followers to choose the poor, as He proposed it to the rich young man! (Mk 10:21). This different way of accepting the poor and of living with them is a sign of the Kingdom of God.
• Matthew 19:16-19: The commandments and eternal life. A person approaches Jesus and asks Him, “Master, what good deed should I do to possess eternal life?” Some manuscripts say that it was a young man. Jesus responds abruptly, “Why do you ask Me about what is good? There is One alone who is good!” Then He responds to the question and says, “If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” The rich young man reacts and asks, “Which commandments?” Jesus very kindly enumerates the commandments which the young man already knew: “You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor father and mother; love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus’ response is very significant. The young man had asked what to do to obtain eternal life. He wanted to live close to God! But Jesus recalls only the commandments which refer to respect for the life close to others! He does not mention the first three commandments which deal with relationship with God. According to Jesus, we will be well with God only if we are well with our neighbor. It is not worth deceiving oneself. The door to reach God is our neighbor.
In Mark, the question of the young man is different: “Good Master what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answers, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good, but God alone.” (Mk 10:17-18). Jesus turns the attention from Himself toward God, because what is important is to do God’s will, to reveal the project of the Father.
• Matthew 19:20: What is the use of observing the commandments? The young man responds, “I have always observed all these things. What more do I need to do?” What follows is strange. The young man wanted to know the way which leads to eternal life. Now, the way of eternal life was and continues to be this: to do God’s will, expressed in the commandments. In other words, the young man observed the commandments without knowing for what purpose. If he had known it, he would not have asked the question. It is like for many Catholics who do not know why they are Catholics. “I was born a Catholic, and this is why I am Catholic!” It is as if it was a custom!
• Matthew 19:21-22: Jesus’ proposal and the young man’s response. Jesus answers, “If you wish to be perfect, go and sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have a treasure in heaven; then come follow Me.” But on hearing these words the young man went away very sad because he was very rich. The observance of the commandments is only the first degree of a stairway that goes beyond, much farther and much higher. Jesus asks more! The observance of the commandments prepares people to be able to reach the point of giving oneself completely to the neighbor. Mark says that Jesus looked at the young man with love (Mk 10:21). Jesus asks for very much, but He asks for it with much love. The young man did not accept Jesus’ proposal and goes away “because he was very rich.”
• Jesus and the option for the poor. A two-fold slavery marked the situation of the people at the time of Jesus: the slavery of the politics of Herod, supported by the Roman Empire and maintained by a whole system which was well organized for exploitation and repression, and the slavery of the official religion, maintained by the religious authority of the time. For this reason the clan, the families, the community, were disintegrating and the majority of the people were excluded, marginalized, homeless, without either a religion or a society. So, for this reason, there were various movements which, like Jesus, tried to build up life in communities: Essenes, Pharisees and, later on, the Zealots. But in Jesus’ community, there was something new which made it different from the other groups: the attitude concerning the poor and the excluded. The communities of the Pharisees lived separated. The word “Pharisee” meant “separated.” This was the attitude concerning the poor and the excluded. The communities of the Pharisees lived separated from the impure people. Some Pharisees considered the people ignorant and damned (Jn 7:49) in sin (Jn 9:34). They could learn nothing from the people (Jn 9:34). On the contrary, Jesus and His community lived in the midst of people who were excluded, considered impure; tax collectors, sinners, prostitutes, lepers (Mk 2:16; 1:41; Lk 7:37). Jesus recognizes the richness and the values which the poor possess (Mt 11: 25-26; Lk 21:1-4). He proclaims them blessed, because the Kingdom is theirs, of the poor (Lk 6:20; Mt 5:3). He defines His mission in this way: “To announce the good news to the poor” (Lk 4:18). He Himself lives poorly. He possesses nothing for Himself, not even a stone to lay His head on (Lk 9:58). And to anyone who wants to follow Him, who wants to live like Him, He orders that that person choose either God or money! (Mt 6:24). He orders His followers to choose the poor, as He proposed it to the rich young man! (Mk 10:21). This different way of accepting the poor and of living with them is a sign of the Kingdom of God.
4) Personal questions
• Can a person who lives concerned about his wealth or with
acquiring the goods which the propaganda of consumerism offers free himself
from all this in order to follow Jesus and live in peace in a Christian
community? Is this possible? What do you think?
• What does this mean for us today: “Go, sell all you possess and give it to the poor?” Is it possible to do this concretely? Do you know anybody who has actually done this for the Kingdom?
• What does this mean for us today: “Go, sell all you possess and give it to the poor?” Is it possible to do this concretely? Do you know anybody who has actually done this for the Kingdom?
• Let us say you own a kitchen with pots and pans and stove, and
its cost was not small. You use this kitchen to feed your family, or the poor,
or some in the community. If you didn’t have this kitchen, you couldn’t do
this. How does Jesus’ advice to the young man apply to you to sell your pots,
pans and kitchen? Which is the greater good?
• Continuing the kitchen question, if you also purchased the
food and gave it away, this is obviously a certain good. What if you only used
the kitchen to provide “cooking” for people who brought their own food
(offering your time and resource)? Or if you sold your cooked food “at cost”?
Or if you charged only enough for a small salary for your “service” to the
community? What if you made a profit while doing this? At what point(s) does
the picture change? Why?
5) Concluding Prayer
Yahweh is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
In grassy meadows He lets me lie down.
By tranquil streams He leads me to restore my spirit.
He guides me in paths of saving justice
as befits His name. (Ps 23:1-3)
In grassy meadows He lets me lie down.
By tranquil streams He leads me to restore my spirit.
He guides me in paths of saving justice
as befits His name. (Ps 23:1-3)
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