Reading 1
Sir 17:20-24
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!
Ps 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7
Responsorial PsalmR. (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.
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
“Jesus, looking at him, loved him.” (Mark 10:21)
Did you catch that? A quick reading of the passage might have over-looked this little detail. “Jesus … loved him.” It’s only a few words, but it transforms the whole story. When he told the rich man: “Go, sell what you have and give to the poor … then come, follow me” (Mark 10:21), Jesus wasn’t demanding something of him. He was inviting him to be with him. Even as he demonstrated that the gospel can be a tough message to hear, he was calling the man to him in love.
Later, as Jesus looked around at his disciples, the same love burned in his heart. He longed for them to understand that salvation is impossible without the grace of God. He even went so far as to call them his “children” (Mark 10:24). So again, just as he was telling his disciples that following him isn’t easy, he was also encouraging them warmly, reminding them that “all things are possible for God” (10:27). God would be with them! He is full of grace and ready to help—always willing to encourage and strengthen.
Just as the rich man bowed down at Jesus’ feet, we too should bow in prayer. Why? Because God looks at us with the same heart of love. He will ask us to make changes in our lives so that we can follow him more closely, but his voice isn’t harsh or dictatorial. It’s kind and affectionate. He calls us his children. He is filled with love for us, and delights when we respond to his calling. Jesus knows how hard that call can be at times, but he promises that he will never ask us to go anywhere without him.
In prayer today, picture Jesus looking at you with love in his heart. Listen as he invites you to follow him wherever he goes. He may even point out a specific way to do that. If he does, don’t shrink back! Instead, ask him for the grace to obey. Ask him for an extra dose of divine power. Remember: God is right beside you, and all things are possible for him.
“Lord Jesus, I love you. Help me to be obedient as you call my name today. I believe that nothing is impossible for you!”
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