Reading 1
Wis 7:7-11
I prayed, and prudence was given me;I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.I preferred her to scepter and throne,and deemed riches nothing in comparison with her,nor did I liken any priceless gem to her;because all gold, in view of her, is a little sand,and before her, silver is to be accounted mire.Beyond health and comeliness I loved her,and I chose to have her rather than the light,because the splendor of her never yields to sleep.Yet all good things together came to me in her company,and countless riches at her hands.
Reading II
Heb 4:12-13
Brothers and sisters:Indeed the word of God is living and effective,sharper than any two-edged sword,penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow,and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.No creature is concealed from him,but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of himto whom we must render an account.
Gospel
Mk 10:17-30 or 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 poorand 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 wealthto 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 needlethan 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 human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God." Peter began to say to him,"We have given up everything and followed you." Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you,there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sistersor mother or father or children or landsfor my sake and for the sake of the gospelwho will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:houses and brothers and sistersand mothers and children and lands,with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come."
or
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 poorand 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 wealthto 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 needlethan 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 human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God."
Meditation:
Mark 10:17-30
The rich young man in today’s Gospel reading would probably be surprised to discover that his philosophy of life continues to be highly popular today, two thousand years later.
He strived to live an upright life. He followed the commandments. He inflicted no harm on others. And yet Jesus rebuked him because he was so attached to his wealth. Despite all his impressive qualities, this man trusted in his possessions more than he trusted in God.
Why did Jesus tell this young man to give away all that he had? Such radical poverty wasn’t part of his regular preaching. He never told Jairus, a well-off synagogue official, to give up his wealth. And he even rebuked his disciples when they suggested that one woman’s gift of expensive perfume should have been sold to help the poor. Jesus’ problem with the young man wasn’t his wealth in itself. It was the way his wealth controlled him.
We all participate in some form of idolatry. It’s part of our fallen nature. We make idols out of money, celebrities, sex, recreation, and work. Jesus’ message to the rich young man is really a message to all of us. If we want to follow Jesus, we must call him Lord and do the things he commands (Luke 6:46). We must deny ourselves and take up the cross (Mark 8:34).
In the end, we are left to wonder whether Jesus really wanted the man to give it all away or if he was just testing him, as God tested Abraham. But we are not left to wonder about Jesus’ goal. He wanted to sanctify this fellow, and for that to happen, the idol of wealth had to go.
Jesus wants to sanctify us as well. This is why we have the Sacrament of Reconciliation. When we confess our idols, we find ourselves closer to Jesus. We hear him assure us that the kingdom of God is ours. And best of all, we see him looking on us with a love that purifies, inspires, and empowers us.
“Jesus, open my eyes to the idols I have set up before you. Lord, I want to inherit eternal life with you!”
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