Monday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary
Time
Lectionary: 347
Lectionary: 347
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
PsalmPS 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.
Alleluia2 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.
GospelMK 10:17-27
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."
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."
Meditation: "Give - and you will have treasure in
heaven"
What gives hope and satisfaction to our desire for
happiness and security? A young man who had the best the world could offer -
wealth and security - came to Jesus because he lacked one thing. He wanted the
kind of lasting peace and happiness which money 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 whole-heartedly 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 sad.
Misplaced hope and treasure
Why did he go away from Jesus with great sorrow and sadness rather than with joy? His treasure and his hope for happiness were misplaced. 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. He sought happiness and security in what he possessed rather than in who he could love and serve and give himself in undivided devotion.
Why did he go away from Jesus with great sorrow and sadness rather than with joy? His treasure and his hope for happiness were misplaced. 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. He sought happiness and security in what he possessed rather than in who he could love and serve and give himself in undivided devotion.
The greatest joy possible
Why does Jesus tell his disciples to "sell all" for the treasure of his kingdom? 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 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 in Matthew 13:44.] Selling all that we have could mean many different things - letting go of attachments, friendships, influences, jobs, entertainments, styles of life - really anything that might stand in the way of our loving God first and foremost in our lives and giving him the best we can with our time, resources, gifts, and service.
Why does Jesus tell his disciples to "sell all" for the treasure of his kingdom? 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 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 in Matthew 13:44.] Selling all that we have could mean many different things - letting go of attachments, friendships, influences, jobs, entertainments, styles of life - really anything that might stand in the way of our loving God first and foremost in our lives and giving him the best we can with our time, resources, gifts, and service.
The priceless treasure of God's kingdom
Those who are generous towards God and towards their neighbor find that they cannot outmatch God in his generosity towards us. God blesses us with the priceless treasures of his kingdom - freedom from fear and the griping power of sin, selfishness and pride which block his love and grace in our lives; freedom from loneliness, isolation and rejection which keep his children from living together in love, peace, and unity; and freedom from hopelessness, despair, and disillusionment which blind our vision of God's power to heal every hurt, bind every wound, and remove every blemish which mar the image of God within us. God offers us treasure which money cannot buy. He alone can truly satisfy the deepest longing and desires of our heart. Are you willing to part with anything that might keep you from seeking true joy with Jesus?
Those who are generous towards God and towards their neighbor find that they cannot outmatch God in his generosity towards us. God blesses us with the priceless treasures of his kingdom - freedom from fear and the griping power of sin, selfishness and pride which block his love and grace in our lives; freedom from loneliness, isolation and rejection which keep his children from living together in love, peace, and unity; and freedom from hopelessness, despair, and disillusionment which blind our vision of God's power to heal every hurt, bind every wound, and remove every blemish which mar the image of God within us. God offers us treasure which money cannot buy. He alone can truly satisfy the deepest longing and desires of our heart. Are you willing to part with anything that might keep you from seeking true joy with Jesus?
Why does Jesus issue such a strong warning to the rich
(as well as to the rest of us who desire to be rich)? Was he really against
wealth? We know that Jesus was not opposed to wealth per se, nor was he opposed
to the wealthy. He had many friends who were well-to-do, including some
notorious tax collectors! One even became an apostle! Jesus' warning reiterated
the teaching of the Old Testament wisdom: Better is a poor man who
walks in his integrity than a rich man who is perverse in his ways (Proverbs
28:6; see also Psalm 37:16). Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be
wise enough to desist (Proverbs 23:4).
Where do we find true security?
Jesus seems to say that it is nearly impossible for the rich to live as citizens of God's kingdom. The camel was regarded as the largest animal in Palestine. The "eye of the needle" could be interpreted quite literally or it could figuratively describe the narrow and low gate of the city walls which was used by travelers when the larger public gate was locked after dark. A normal sized man had to "lower" himself to enter that gate. A camel would literally have to knell and crawl through it.
Jesus seems to say that it is nearly impossible for the rich to live as citizens of God's kingdom. The camel was regarded as the largest animal in Palestine. The "eye of the needle" could be interpreted quite literally or it could figuratively describe the narrow and low gate of the city walls which was used by travelers when the larger public gate was locked after dark. A normal sized man had to "lower" himself to enter that gate. A camel would literally have to knell and crawl through it.
Why is Jesus so cautious about wealth? Wealth
can make us falsely independent. The church at Laodicea was warned about their
attitude towards wealth and a false sense of security: "For you say, I am
rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing" (Revelation 3:17). Wealth can
also lead us into hurtful desires and selfishness (see 1 Timothy 6:9-10). Look
at the lesson Jesus gave about the rich man and his sons who refused to aid the
poor man Lazarus (see Luke 16:19ff). They also neglected to serve God.
We loose what we keep - we gain what we give away
The Scriptures give us a paradox: we lose what we keep and we gain what we give away. Generosity will be amply repaid, both in this life and in eternity (Proverbs 3:9-10, Luke 6:38). Jesus offers us an incomparable treasure which no money can buy and no thief can steal. The thing we most set our heart on is our highest treasure. Material wealth will shackle us to this earth unless we guard our hearts and set our treasure on God and his everlasting kingdom. Where is your treasure?
The Scriptures give us a paradox: we lose what we keep and we gain what we give away. Generosity will be amply repaid, both in this life and in eternity (Proverbs 3:9-10, Luke 6:38). Jesus offers us an incomparable treasure which no money can buy and no thief can steal. The thing we most set our heart on is our highest treasure. Material wealth will shackle us to this earth unless we guard our hearts and set our treasure on God and his everlasting kingdom. Where is your treasure?
"Lord Jesus, you have captured our hearts and
opened to us the treasures of heaven. May you always be my treasure and delight
and may nothing else keep me from giving you my all."
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' (Matthew
19:17; Mark 10:17; Luke 18:18). 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 84.1.9)
MONDAY,
FEBRUARY 27, MARK 10:17-27
Weekday
(Sirach 17:20-24; Psalm 32)
Weekday
(Sirach 17:20-24; Psalm 32)
KEY VERSE: "Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven" (v 21).
TO KNOW: A rich man approached Jesus and asked him what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him that the answer to his question could be found in the Mosaic Law, which was a reflection of God's righteousness. When the man said that he had kept the Law all of his life, Jesus invited him to take another step on his spiritual journey. By sharing his wealth with the poor, the man would be rewarded with even greater treasures in heaven. But the rich man was unable to part with his possessions, and saddened, he walked away. Jesus warned his disciples that wealth could be an obstacle to the kingdom of God. He used the image of a heavily laden camel trying to squeeze through the city gates to show that his followers should not be so weighed down with material goods that they would be unable to pass through heaven's gate.
TO LOVE: What do I do to help the poor?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, teach me to be generous with the gifts you have given to me.
www.togetherwithgodsword.com
Monday 27 February 2017
Mon 27th. Ecclesiasticus 17:24-29. Let the
just exult and rejoice in the Lord—Ps 31(32):1-2, 5-7. Mark 10:17-27.
Readings
‘Thou art a hiding place for me.’
Readings
‘Thou art a hiding place for me.’
‘He went away sorrowful because he had
great possessions.’
These are some of the saddest words in the
gospels as they portray a man with ambitions for a spiritual life but cannot
release himself from his love of wealth.
Do we find ourselves torn between the
world’s standards and what Jesus is telling us here?
Are we surprised at this difficult choice?
Be open with the Lord and trust in his steadfast love to guide us.
It may not be our call to give up
everything and go as missionaries to the poor, but we can support those who do
so knowing all things are possible with God and that he is our refuge.
BLESSED MARIA CARIDAD
BRADER
Mother Maria Caridad Brader was born into a pious family in
Kaltburn, Switzerland, in 1860. Maria was unusually intelligent and her mother,
a widow, went through great pains to give her a good education.
Despite her mother's opinion, Maria entered a Franciscan convent
in 1880. She made her final vows two years later and began teaching at the
convent school.
At the end of the 19th century, it became permissible for
cloistered nuns to work as missionaries. Maria volunteered to be one of the
first of six sisters to work in Ecuador.
Maria served as a teacher and catechist in Ecuador.
In 1893, she was transferred to Colombia.
In response to an urgent need for missionaries, Maria founded the
Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of Mary Immaculate in 1893 in Colombia.
Maria served as the congregation's superior general until 1919 and again from
1928 to 1940.
Maria urged her sisters to combine contemplation and action with
great care. Her congregation also emphasized good education for both the
sisters and their students.
“Do not forget that the better educated, the greater the skills
the educator possesses, the more she will be able to do for our holy religion
and the glory of God,” Maria told her sisters. “The more intense and visible
her external activity, the deeper and more fervent her interior life must be.”
Maria died in 1943 in Colombia and her grave immediately became a
popular pilgrimage site.
She was beatified by Blessed John Paul II in 2003.
LECTIO DIVINA: MARK 10,17-27
Lectio Divina:
Monday, February 27, 2017
Ordinary Time
1) OPENING PRAYER
Lord,
guide the course of world events
and give your Church the joy and peace
of serving you in freedom.
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
guide the course of world events
and give your Church the joy and peace
of serving you in freedom.
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) GOSPEL READING - MARK
10,17-27
Jesus was setting out on a journey when
a man ran up, knelt before him and put this question to him, 'Good master, what
must I do to inherit eternal life?' Jesus said to 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 give
false witness; You shall not defraud; Honour your father and mother.'
And he said to him, 'Master, I have kept
all these since my earliest days.' Jesus looked steadily at him and he was
filled with love for him, and he said, 'You need to do one thing more. Go and
sell what you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in
heaven; then come, follow me.' But his face fell at these words and he went
away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.
Jesus looked round and said to his
disciples, 'How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of
God!' The disciples were astounded by these words, but Jesus insisted, 'My
children,' he said to them, '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 someone rich to
enter the kingdom of God.'
They were more astonished than ever, saying
to one another, 'In that case, who can be saved?' Jesus gazed at them and said,
'By human resources it is impossible, but not for God: because for God
everything is possible.'
3) REFLECTION
• The Gospel today narrates two events:
(a) it tells the story of a rich man who asks how to obtain eternal life (Mk
10, 17-22), and (b) Jesus warns on the danger of riches (Mk 10, 23-27). The
rich man does not accept the proposal of Jesus, because he was very rich. A
rich person is protected by the security which is given to him by his riches.
He has difficulty to open his hand and detach himself from this security. He
seizes strongly the advantage of his goods, lives concerned defending his own
interests. A poor person is not accustomed to have this concern. But there may
also be some poor people who have the mentality of the rich. And then, the
desire for riches creates in them dependence and also makes them become slaves
of consumerism. They have no time to dedicate themselves to the service of
neighbour. Keeping these problems in mind, problems of persons, of countries,
let us read and meditate on the text of the rich man.
• Mark 10, 17-19: The observance
of the commandments and eternal life. A person came up to Jesus and
asked: “Good Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” The
Gospel of Matthew tells us that it was the case of a young man
(Mt 19, 20.22). Jesus responds abruptly: “Why do you call me good? No one is
good but God alone!” Jesus takes away the attention from himself to
direct it toward God, because what is important is to do God’s Will, to reveal
the Father’s project. Then Jesus affirms: “You know the commandments:
You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You
shall not give false witness. You shall not defraud. Honour your father and
mother”. It is important to observe always the response of Jesus. The
young man had asked something concerning eternal life. He wanted to live together
with God. But Jesus does not mention the first three commandments
which define our relationship with God! He mentioned only those which indicate
respect for the life lived together with others. According to
Jesus, we can only be well with God if we know how to be well with our
neighbour. It serves nothing to deceive ourselves. The door to reach God is our
neighbour.
• Mark 10, 20: What good is it
to observe the commandments? The young man answered that he observed
the commandments since his earliest days. What is strange is what follows. He
wanted to know which was the way to eternal life. Now, the
way of life was and continues to be: to do God’s will expressed in the commandments. It
means that he observed the commandments without knowing for what purpose.
Otherwise, he would not have asked any questions. This is what happens today to
many Catholics: they do not know what it means to be a Catholic. “I was born in
a Catholic country; this is why I am Catholic!” It is a habit!
• Mark 10, 21-22: To share the goods
with the poor and to follow Jesus. Hearing the response of the young man,
“Jesus looked at him and was full of love for him and said: You need to do one
more thing: go and sell what you own and give the money to the poor and you
will have a treasure in heaven, then come, follow me!” The observance of the
commandments is only the first step of a stairway that goes higher. Jesus asks
more! The observance of the commandments prepares the person for the total gift
of self in behalf of neighbour. Jesus asks for very much but he asks it with
much love. The rich young man does not accept the proposal of Jesus and goes
away, because he was a man of great wealth”.
• Mark 10, 23-27: The camel and
the eye of the needle. After the young man left, Jesus commented on
his decision: “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the
kingdom of God!” The disciples were astounded. Jesus repeats the same
phrase and adds: “It is easier that a camel passes through the eye of a
needle than for someone rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
The expression “enter the kingdom” not
only indicates and in first place entrance into heaven after death, but also
and above all, the entrance into the community around Jesus. The community is
and should be a model of the Kingdom. The reference to the impossibility for a
camel to pass through the eye of a needle comes from a
popular proverb of the time used by the people to say that a thing was humanly
speaking, impossible and unfeasible. The disciples were astounded hearing the
affirmation of Jesus and they ask themselves: “Then who can be saved?” This
is a sign that they had not understood the response of Jesus to the young rich
man: “Go, sell all you all you own and give the money to the poor and then
come follow me”. The young man had observed the commandments since his
earliest days, but without understanding the reason for this observance.
Something similar was happening to the disciples. They had already abandoned
all their goods as Jesus had asked the young rich man, but without
understanding the reason, the why of this abandonment. If they had understood
they would not have been astounded before the demands of Jesus. When riches or
the desire for riches occupies the heart and the gaze, the person cannot
perceive the sense of the Gospel. Only God can help! Jesus looks at the
disciples and says: “Impossible for man but not for God. For God everything
is possible.”
4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• A person who lives constantly
concerned about her wealth or who lives always wanting to buy all the things
about which the television makes propaganda, can she free herself from
everything to follow Jesus and live in peace in a Christian community? Is it
possible? What do you think? How do you do it and what do you do?
• Do you know somebody who has succeeded
to abandon everything for the sake of the Kingdom? What does it mean for us
today: “Go, sell all you own, and give the money to the poor”? How can we
understand and practice today the counsels that Jesus gives to the young rich
man?
5) CONCLUDING PRAYER
I give thanks to Yahweh with all my
heart,
in the meeting-place of honest people, in the assembly.
Great are the deeds of Yahweh,
to be pondered by all who delight in them. (Ps 111,1-2)
in the meeting-place of honest people, in the assembly.
Great are the deeds of Yahweh,
to be pondered by all who delight in them. (Ps 111,1-2)
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