The Rich And The Kingdom Of God

FEBRUARY 28, 2022, MONDAY

Monday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 347

Reading I

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.

Responsorial Psalm

111:1-2, 5-6, 9 and 10c

R.        (5)  The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.

or:

R.        Alleluia..

I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart

            in the company and assembly of the just.

Great are the works of the LORD,

            exquisite in all their delights.

R.        The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

He has given food to those who fear him;

            he will forever be mindful of his covenant.

He has made known to his people the power of his works,

            giving them the inheritance of the nations.

R.        The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

He has sent deliverance to his people;

            he has ratified his covenant forever;

            holy and awesome is his name.

            His praise endures forever.

R.        The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

Alleluia

2 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.

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.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Have you ever been sad because you didn’t do something good which you could have done? The visit to a sick or lonely person postponed, the help not given to someone in great financial need, the prayer-time not given, the failure to listen to your children or people close to us - many ways in which we could, without too much difficulty, have said a ‘yes’ to love. This is something like the feeling of the rich man when he walked away with his wealth and his sadness. Let that be part of prayer today.

PRAYER:

I allow myself time to think about what Jesus loves about me - and I don't move on until I do! Jesus may show me the one thing that is holding me back from freedom. I can walk away or I can ask for help to deal with it.

The Rich And The Kingdom Of God

OCTOBER 10, 2021, Sunday
Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)
INDIGENEOUS PEOPLES' SUNDAY
EXTREME POVERTY DAY
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 143

Reading I
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.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 90:12-13, 14-15, 16-17

R. (14)    Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!

Teach us to number our days aright,
    that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
    Have pity on your servants!

R. Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!

Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
    that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
Make us glad, for the days when you afflicted us,
    for the years when we saw evil.

R. Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!

Let your work be seen by your servants
    and your glory by their children;
and may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours;
    prosper the work of our hands for us!
    Prosper the work of our hands!

R. Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!

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 him
to whom we must render an account.

Alleluia
Mt 5:3

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

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 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 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 sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters
and 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 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 human beings it is impossible, but not for God. 
All things are possible for God."

REFLECTION:

Have you ever been sad because you didn’t do something good which you could have done? The visit to a sick or lonely person postponed, the help not given to someone in great financial need, the prayer-time not given, the failure to listen to your children or people close to us - many ways in which we could, without too much difficulty, have said a ‘yes’ to love. This is something like the feeling of the rich man when he walked away with his wealth and his sadness. Let that be part of prayer today.

PRAYER:

I allow myself time to think about what Jesus loves about me - and I don't move on until I do! Jesus may show me the one thing that is holding me back from freedom. I can walk away or I can ask for help to deal with it. 

The Rich And The Kingdom Of God

August 16, 2021, Monday
FEAST OF SAINT ROCK (ROQUE), HEALER (White)
Monday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 419

Reading I
Jgs 2:11-19

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.

Responsorial Psalm
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.

Alleluia
Mt 5:3

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Mt 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.

REFLECTION:

‘Master, what good deed must I do to possess eternal life?’ I stay with this question, imagining myself standing before Jesus and baring my heart’s desire to him. I let myself feel a strong desire, like the rich young man of today’s gospel, a desire that challenges me and lets me get in touch with what I lack.

The parable invites us to ask ourselves:- what possessions of ours might be holding us back from following Christ in some ways?

PRAYER:

Teach me, Lord, how to get free of the things that have a hold on me. They prevent me from following you more closely. Help me to see that my possessions are not the treasure I am looking for. Help me to build the lasting treasure of a strong relationship with you.