How happy are the poor in spirit:
theirs is the kingdom of heaven. MT 5:3
JUDGES 2:11-19
My Soul's Beloved,
What are the Baals that I serve, as well as the peoples of all the nations? The greatest of these is self-love to the extent that I put my needs and wants, my preferences, my likes and dislikes, over those of others, and most especially over the weak and vulnerable, because I have the power to do so. In turn, there are those with greater power who put their needs and so on, over mine, not just because they can but because they do so with little or no thought at all, for they just naturally assume that their needs come first. Everyone, and especially Christians, must always be vigilant in living the Gospel values and placing the needs of the more disadvantaged before their personal preferences of a life of self-indulgent ease, satisfaction, and comfort.
Today, those who possess wealth and power in every nation in the world are hell bent on domination. Satisfying the greed of a privileged few has tilted the balance of power, usurping the rights and privileges of the common people and handing them over to the ones with the greatest power to bully the rest into submission. There is no place on earth where false gods are worshipped and idolatry in one form or another is practiced that is not under divine wrath.
The cup of God's wrath is brimming and if we do not turn to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to the fulfillment of God's plan of salvationin You, His Beloved Son, if we fail to listen and obey You, Lord, we can expect the whole world to be destroyed just as He destroyed Sodom and Gommorrah. It is not too late for repentance, just as it was not too late for the people of Nineveh. If we return to You with a broken heart and contrite and repentant spirit, with humility and sorrow for our sins, You will forgive. Hear the prayers of the remnant, O Lord, who fast, pray, and plead, and cry out to you with tears, mourning, and lamentation for forgiveness, and You will hear and answer, forgive and bless, and restore.
The sons of Israel did what displeases the Lord, and served the Baals. They deserted the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods from the gods of the peoples round them. They bowed down to these; they provoked the Lord; they deserted the Lord to serve Baal and Astarte. Then the Lord’s anger flamed out against Israel. He handed them over to pillagers who plundered them; he delivered them to the enemies surrounding them, and they were not able to resist them. In every warlike venture, the hand of the Lord was there to foil them, as the Lord had warned, as the Lord had sworn to them. Thus he reduced them to dire distress.
Then the Lord appointed judges for them, and rescued the men of Israel from the hands of their plunderers. But they would not listen to their judges. They prostituted themselves to other gods, and bowed down before these. Very quickly they left the path their ancestors had trodden in obedience to the orders of the Lord; they did not follow their example. When the Lord appointed judges for them, the Lord was with the judge and rescued them from the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived, for the Lord felt pity for them as they groaned under the iron grip of their oppressors. But once the judge was dead, they relapsed and behaved even worse than their ancestors. They followed other gods; they served them and bowed before them, and would not give up the practices and stubborn ways of their ancestors at all.
PSALM 105(106):34-37,39-40,43-44
O Lord, remember me out of the love you have for your people.
Then the Lord appointed judges for them, and rescued the men of Israel from the hands of their plunderers. But they would not listen to their judges. They prostituted themselves to other gods, and bowed down before these. Very quickly they left the path their ancestors had trodden in obedience to the orders of the Lord; they did not follow their example. When the Lord appointed judges for them, the Lord was with the judge and rescued them from the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived, for the Lord felt pity for them as they groaned under the iron grip of their oppressors. But once the judge was dead, they relapsed and behaved even worse than their ancestors. They followed other gods; they served them and bowed before them, and would not give up the practices and stubborn ways of their ancestors at all.
PSALM 105(106):34-37,39-40,43-44
O Lord, remember me out of the love you have for your people.
They failed to destroy the peoples
as the Lord had given command,
but instead they mingled with the nations
and learned to act as they did.
They worshipped the idols of the nations
and these became a snare to entrap them.
They even offered their own sons
and their daughters in sacrifice to demons.
So they defiled themselves by their deeds
and broke their marriage bond with the Lord
till his anger blazed against his people;
he was filled with horror at his chosen ones.
Time after time he rescued them,
but in their malice they dared to defy him.
In spite of this he paid heed to their distress,
so often as he heard their cry.
as the Lord had given command,
but instead they mingled with the nations
and learned to act as they did.
They worshipped the idols of the nations
and these became a snare to entrap them.
They even offered their own sons
and their daughters in sacrifice to demons.
So they defiled themselves by their deeds
and broke their marriage bond with the Lord
till his anger blazed against his people;
he was filled with horror at his chosen ones.
Time after time he rescued them,
but in their malice they dared to defy him.
In spite of this he paid heed to their distress,
so often as he heard their cry.
O Lord, remember me out of the love you have for your people.
MATTHEW 19:16-22
My Soul's Beloved,
Why is it, Lord, that when it comes to a life of ease, of temporal goods, a life free from want, and a desire to please and sate our senses, we aim to pursue with great zeal, but when it comes to the things of God and the Kingdom of God, we lack will, desire, and fervor? We prefer a mediocre spiritual life and spend our entire lives seeking to gain one that promises the indulging of our temporal one.
The spirit of the rich young man in today's Gospel hungered for more, but his flesh demanded a life of ease and comfort. He came to You and made his need for more, and what did he expect You to say? Was he hoping for? That You would pat him on the back for doing just enough by keeping the commandment and not demanding more of him? He was certainly surprised when You responded to his query, 'What more do I need to do?' by saying, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go and sell what you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ The poor man went away a beggar despite keeping his wealth, and that is why he returned to his home sad.
Am I any different, Beloved? I only desire to give You what does not cost me much. The moment it hurts, it requires suffering, a renunciation of my will and my own selfish wants and needs, I scale back promptly and turn away. Pity me, Lord, and do for me what I am unable to do for myself. Take my will, my liberty, take my life and hide me in You, then do with me what You will.
There was a man who came to Jesus and asked, ‘Master, what good deed must I do to possess eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you ask me about what is good? There is one alone who is good. But if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.’ He said, ‘Which?’ ‘These:’ Jesus replied ‘You must not kill. You must not commit adultery. You must not bring false witness. Honour your father and mother, and: you must love your neighbour as yourself.’ The young man said to him, ‘I have kept all these. What more do I need to do?’ Jesus said, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go and sell what you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ But when the young man heard these words he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.
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