Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 143
Reading I
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
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
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
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
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."
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
How importantly do we treat the Word of God? It is very easy to open up our Bibles and read the words within, only to prevent them from having a dynamic impact on our lives. Many times, they can just be taken as mere words that fail to impact us in any deep way. We are constantly bombarded from different sources with information, much true and much not. It is a natural inclination to view what we take from Sacred Scripture as more of the same, stuff that we can either use or discard based on our own decision-making process. Its importance can easily be lost or minimized when weighing it against other influences. This is where basic human error can result. With God, there is no error. His word and His wisdom are perfect. These were given to us for instruction and guidance. It is through these things that we can experience a better life while avoiding the pitfalls that our freewill unchecked can bring us to. We all need guidance at one point or another in our lives. Isn’t it better to receive that guidance from a perfect source instead of an imperfect one? As Christians, we have that opportunity through Sacred Scripture.
Its uniqueness is further identified by the fact that it is omnipotent, as is its Creator. The impact of the Word of God is as powerful now as when it first came into existence. It is constantly evolving and has as much to say now in relation to this world as to the times that are now in the past. The words written cannot be separated from its author, just as we cannot be separated from God. It is said that to know God is to love God. This knowing is achieved through seeking a relationship with Him. Sacred Scripture offers that window into a deeper understanding of God.
That, though, is but the first step. We see that in the exchange that Jesus has with the rich man. He observed all the rules and lived a very devout life. What he did lack was a personal relationship with God and a trust in Him. There was a reliance upon himself and a love of the material world that prevented Him from continuing further into a relationship with God. Yes, He was obedient and observant, but that only went so far. He could not take the next step into full devotion and love. We all are at risk when it comes to this area. We need to take the words of God and let them nurture and shape us. They can be a gateway into something more beautiful and glorious. It is easy to read these things, adhere to what is being said, but still not let them impact us on a spiritual level. The rich man could not let go of his material wealth and follow Jesus completely, even though He knew what Jesus was offering. I feel we all can relate on some level regarding this. It is hard to let go of preconceived beliefs and ideas. It is even harder to surrender control of our lives to someone like God, who at times appears to be invisible to us. Yet, in reality, He is not invisible. We just convince ourselves that He is not seen, and He is not heard. We let our physical senses seize control of our existence and ultimately overwhelm us, helping us to perpetuate the illusion that we have created.
Jesus is ready to help us break through that illusion, but we need to respond to His call and take that step in response to what He is saying. The Letter to the Hebrews describes the word of God as “living and effective.” It truly is. The impact it can have on our lives is unmeasurable. But the words need to be consumed, devoured, contemplated, and appreciated. To do that, there must be a constant pursuit of knowledge and understanding, which comes through prayer and discernment. Yes, it would possibly be easier just to focus on the material aspects on life and take the easier way. The result of that would be disappointment and failure. The rich man kept his wealth but was crestfallen. He knew there was a better way, but he did not have the fortitude to follow it. He knew there was more joy following Jesus, but He was unable to do it. He chose the easier path and was immediately miserable because of it. Why follow misery when we know it is going to be miserable? Knowing and following God is by far more rewarding. In this life and the next.
Deacon Tom
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