Reading 1
1 Pt 1:3-9
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading,
kept in heaven for you
who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith,
to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time.
In this you rejoice, although now for a little while
you may have to suffer through various trials,
so that the genuineness of your faith,
more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire,
may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor
at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Although you have not seen him you love him;
even though you do not see him now yet you believe in him,
you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,
as you attain the goal of faith, the salvation of your souls.
Gospel
Mk 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.”
Meditation: Mark 10:17-27
Sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. (Mark 10:21)
Jesus saw that this rich young man, while rigorous in his personal morality, was still lacking something vital if he wanted to be a disciple. Jesus didn’t seem to be concerned with the man’s wealth or social status. Rather, he saw that this fellow had amassed a good amount of fortune but didn’t have a heart for the needy around him. His money was his, and that was the end of the discussion.
How different is Jesus’ philosophy of life! He wants us to see that we are all members of each other, like one big family. We are all responsible for each other, regardless of our race, culture, religion, or social status because we are all creations of our heavenly Father. To use the teachings of Pope John Paul II, we could say that Jesus wants us to live in solidarity with each other. According to the pope, solidarity is “not a feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of others. It is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good.”
On the day of judgment, God will not ask us how distressed we felt over the sufferings of the poor. He will ask what we concretely did to help them out: “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). He will hold us accountable for the way we used the gifts—material as well as spiritual—that he gave us in this life.
The rich young man couldn’t bear the thought of parting with his money. But in reality, nothing is ultimately ours. We are stewards of the gifts God has given us, and it’s up to us to use these gifts in ways that establish his kingdom on the earth and bring blessings to others. He has been generous to us, and now he calls us to be just as generous to those around us. Jesus wants to see us living in a just and charitable balance between providing for ourselves and reaching out to those who have less than we do. Let’s examine ourselves and give to others as God calls us.
“Jesus, give me a heart of compassion and action for the poor. Pierce my heart with your love so that I can become more like you.”
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