Community Word:Those who are poor in spirit will inherit the Kingdom of God.
Theme: We inherit the Kingdom of God when we share our blessings with those in need.
Promise:“…give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven.”(Mk 10:21b)
Reflection:
In the gospel of Mark, we catch sight of a rich young man as he hurries towards Jesus and falls on his knees before Him. This is an action of a man not only filled with personal certainty and determined desire for something, but one who has great respect for Jesus. He is quite different from the Pharisees and Sadducees who hounds Jesus only to trap Him. This young man is honest and worthy, only asking a question to find out how he can gain eternal life. Like him, it is a question which has occupied our minds and all true Christians throughout the ages.
The rich young man addresses Jesus, “Good teacher…” Then almost to set the youth straight and even curb his enthusiasm, Jesus answers, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone,” (Mk 10:18). Jesus goes on to quote the commandments which the youth assures Jesus he has kept all his life. The Gospel says, “Jesus, looking at him, loved him…,” (Mk 10:21a). This is how Jesus looks into our hearts when we feel so self-assured, but not realizing that we lack many things in our spiritual life. Jesus knows that this young man is a good person, but He also sees his weak point and gives him a truthful exhortation: To give everything that he has to the poor and follow Him, (cf. Mk 10:21b). But apparently this young man has a heart divided between two masters – God and money, and he goes away sad. He is so attached to his wealth to part with it and follow Jesus instead.
Can we relate to this episode when we are called to serve Jesus as He wants us to? Sometimes or oftentimes, we are materialistic like the rich young man. Knowingly or unknowingly, we have our attachments: the thought of being without our cell phone, car, and other prized possessions, including our careers, our comforts, and even our relationships. The thought of giving up our vices and pleasures seems to be hard for us, denying ourselves of putting God before all material things. It is not bad to have money and other material goods, or spending time for our temporal concerns. But if these things become our attachments and top priorities in our life, then this is not good for us. Instead, Jesus is asking us to share our blessings – time, talent and treasures, with those in need in order to inherit the Kingdom of God just. As our theme reminds us: We inherit the Kingdom of God when we share our blessings with those in need.Our Lord Jesus wants us to give our time serving Him everyday through prayer and reading His words in scriptures. He wants us to share our gifts and be of use to the community we are serving. Likewise, God expects us to be generous even if our financial resources are not much.Consistent financial giving is the best remedy for our greedy tendencies.
Jesus makes this solemn declaration: “I assure you that he who leaves everything to follow me will have eternal life in the age to come and a hundred times more now in this present age,” (cf. Mk 10:29-30).Pope Francis re-echoes these words today: “We deprive ourselves of goods and receive in exchange the joy of the true good; we free ourselves from slavery to things and we win the liberty of service out of love; we renounce possessing and we attain the happiness of giving.” About which Jesus says – “There is more joy in giving than receiving,” (cf. Acts 20:35). The rich young man did not allow himself to be conquered by the loving gaze of Jesus and thus, he was not able to change. In fact, he “went away sad.”
In Pope Francis’ address to the crowd in his usual Angelus, he tells us:“Only in welcoming with humble gratitude the Lord’s love do we free ourselves from the seduction of idols and the blindness of our illusions. Money, pleasure and success dazzle, but later they disappoint: They promise life but cause death. The Lord asks of us a detachment from these false riches to enter into true life, a full life that is authentic and luminous.”
The Lord is inviting us to be poor, to live with and serve the poor; then the treasure of Heaven will be ours. In His promise, he says: “…give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven.”(Mk 10:21b). Unlike the rich young man, we can be with Jesus and be His true followers, rejoicing and anticipating our true treasure of eternal life in heaven, when we are mindful of sharing our blessings and our gifts with those who are in need.
Prayer:
Father God, we ask You to instill in us a generous heart, a heart that is willing to serve even the poorest of the poor. Grant us the grace, Lord God, to give our yes to You everyday and to put You first before other things here on earth. Help us to use our time, talent and treasure always in the service of You and Your people. All these we pray in Jesus name, through the powerful intercession of Mama Mary, St. Joseph and St. Padre Pio. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
1. If I am to meet Jesus face to face today, what would my question to Him be?
2. How can I stop putting off following Jesus 100% when I keep on clinging to something or someone?
3. In what way can I be generous in sharing my blessings to others?
This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
Oct 14, 2018 (Sun) – Wis 7:7-11/Ps 90:12-17/Heb 4:12, 13/Mk 10:17-30
Oct 15, 2018 (Mon – Gal 4:22-24, 36, 27, 31-5:1/Ps 113:1-7/Lk 11:29-32
Oct 16, 2018 (Tue) – Gal 5:1-6/Ps 119:41, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48/Lk 11:37-41
Oct 17, 2018 (Wed) – Gal 5:18-25/Ps 1-4, 6/Lk 11:42-44
Oct 18, 2018 (Thu) – 2Tm 4:10-17/Ps 148:10-13, 17, 18/Lk 10:1-9
Oct 19, 2018 (Fri) – Eph 1:11-14/Ps 33:1, 2, 4, 5, 12, 13/Lk 12:1-7
Oct 20, 2018 (Sat) – Eph 1:15-23/Ps 8:2-7/Mk 10:35-45
“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”
