MONDAY OF WEEK 8 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Jesus Christ was rich,
but he became poor for your sake,
to make you rich out of his poverty 2COR 8:9

1 PETER 1:3-9 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

St. Peterr's words in today's reading are most comforting. Without seeing You, Lord, I do believe. I know You are the Son of the Living God, the Father, who sent You into the world to lay down Your life for me. To enter into the death that is ours so we may be raised to new life in You through Your resurrection. I know Lord, that before the end of this life, I sojourn in a valley of tears. I must walk the narrow way which is hard, I must crucify my will, my passions, and my disorderly affections, I must train my spirit to be humble, submissive, and obedient to the will of God. I need grace to embrace God's will not just for me but for those I love with joy knowing that in all things God works for good for those who love Him.

O Lord, my God, my Savior and Redeemer, my Hope and my Inheritance, stay with me. Without Your help, without grace, without the Holy Spirit, I will lose heart, I will become discouraged, I may give up. Help me! Stay with me Lord every moment of every hour of every day and then at last I know that You will take me by the hand and lead me to the Father and to the place prepared by God for me and my loved ones since the creation of the world.

You did not see him, yet you love him; and still without seeing him, you are already filled with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described, because you believe; and you are sure of the end to which your faith looks forward, that is, the salvation of your souls.

PSALM 110(111):1-2,5-6,9-10 ©

I will thank the Lord with all my heart
in the meeting of the just and their assembly.
Great are the works of the Lord,
to be pondered by all who love them.

He gives food to those who fear him;
keeps his covenant ever in mind.
He has shown his might to his people
by giving them the lands of the nations.

He has sent deliverance to his people
and established his covenant for ever.
Holy his name, to be feared.

To fear the Lord is the first stage of wisdom;
all who do so prove themselves wise.
His praise shall last for ever!

The Lord keeps his covenant in mind.

MARK 10:17-27 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

As I reflect on the incident recorded by St.Mark in his gospel, the rich young man would have known You, he would have followed You and perhaps witnessed many miracles performed by You. At a word, or touch You caused the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, and evil spirits were cast out.  Perhaps he was present when You cured lepers and raised the dead to life and he had a burning to hear from Your lips how to have a deeper relationship with God. Knowing that You were leaving the neighborhood he desired to meet You personally and came running to You. Kneeling reverently before You he asked, ‘Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Before You addressed his question, You said, did not answer his question but said, Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.’ You said this because the man did not know that You were indeed God, he believed You to be a rabbi, a prophet, a good man of God, but he did not recognize that You were truly the Son of God - You were God incarnate. 

You went on to tell him the basic requirements he needed to fulfill to inherit the Kingdom of God, ‘You know the commandments: You must not kill; You must not commit adultery; You must not steal; You must not bring false witness; You must not defraud; Honour your father and mother.’ The man said that he had kept the Law from his youth. Knowing this was true, Mark says, You looked at him steadily and loved him. This earnest young man with a deep hunger for more moved your heart but You also knew him better than he knew himself. You knew that while his spirit was willing, his flesh would prove him unable to embrace the cost of true, and committed discipleship. Even as he heard Your answer to the deep need of his spirit,

 ‘There is one thing you lack. Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ His countenance changed. The eagerness was dulled. And his response to total self-abnegation was visible in his whole demeanor. Mark says it well, But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.

You knew all along that the man was too attached to his possessions to give it all up for the lasting inheritance of the Kingdom of God. Turning to Your disciples, You gave them a warning that is also a warning to the rich, the powerful, those who possess vast wealth:

‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!’ 

‘My 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 a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’

The disciples did not know what to make of Your words as they were beginning to understand that it takes far more than just the desire to become Your disciple. We are to make a total commitment by following You, leaving everything behind as the Apostles did, without looking back, and this takes grace. We need grace for without it, You tell all those who wish to be Your disciples that we cannot be saved on our own, only God can save us for with God everything is possible for God.