AN INVITATION TO GAIN ETERNAL LIFE
First Reading: Wisdom 7: 7 to 11
Second Reading: Hebrews 4: 12 to 13
Gospel Reading: Mark 10: 17 to 30
*First reading is from the book of Wisdom. This passage praises the Wisdom of the Lord God. The priceless gift of the Wisdom of the Lord God is explained. All possessions - wealth and riches of the world - are nothing compared to the Wisdom of the Lord God. Because all good things in the world have their origin in the Wisdom of the Lord God.
*Second reading is from the letter of St. Paul to Hebrews. The mighty power of the Word of God is explained. God's Word is a source of true wisdom for us. It helps us to live as God wants us to live. The Word of God is sharper than a double-edged sword which pierces through the soul and spirit. All who believe in the Lord are warned that nothing can be hidden from God, for their innermost thoughts and intentions are known to Him.
The rich young man and Jesus Today's Gospel reading is from St. Mark. A young man desiring to inherit eternal life comes to Jesus and seeks His advice. Jesus begins by getting the man to look at 'where he has come from'. Jesus tells him to keep the commandments. The young man firmly says that he kept all the commandments all his life. He claims to be law-abiding, decent and a respectable person. After listening to him, Jesus looks at him with affection and invites this God-fearing and law-abiding young man to be one of His disciples with certain conditions. Jesus challenges him and offers him a new vision of goodness. He says: "Go and sell everything you have and give the money to the poor and come and follow me." When this young man heard these words of Jesus, he leaves Him and goes away quietly. Unfortunately, his vast wealth and possessions hold him back from being a disciple of Jesus. He is not willing to leave his worldly possessions and he loses the opportunity to gain eternal life. He is too much attached to his wealth rather than accepting the invitation of Jesus. What a hold possessions have on the human heart! How easily they can become our god! How they can take over our lives, absorbing our precious time, energy and attention, so that we become enslaved to them! The young man could not give them up. So he went away sad. After this incident, Jesus tells His disciples: "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!" The disciples are rather surprised by this observation of Jesus. Because, according to the Jewish understanding, wealth and worldly possessions are sure signs of God's blessings. Hence, the rich young man in the Gospel loves his possessions more than God and he loses eternal life which he was in search of. Like this young man, sometimes we too think of a better and more authentic Christian life. But are we prepared to take the challenge of Jesus? Jesus is challenging everyone of us: "If you want to be perfect, sell everything, give to the poor and then come and follow me." Why not simplify our lives somewhat to free ourselves to follow the Lord more easily, more closely and yes, more joyously, believing that no matter how much we let go for the Lord, He will always give us back a hundredfold. Luke Chapter 16 verse 13 says: "You cannot serve God and money." May the Lord Jesus bless you all and grant you the grace to give up the worldly possessions and attachments that keep you away from the Lord so that you can possess eternal life. Amen.
(Kindly note: Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph is available on YouTube. Please view, like, share and subscribe to the video version on YouTube. "YouTube/Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph" on Google search. Thanks.)
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