Monday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 347
Reading 1
1 Peter 1:3-9
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading,
kept in heaven for you
who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith,
to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time.
In this you rejoice, although now for a little while
you may have to suffer through various trials,
so that the genuineness of your faith,
more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire,
may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor
at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Although you have not seen him you love him;
even though you do not see him now yet you believe in him,
you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,
as you attain the goal of faith, the salvation of your souls.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 111:1-2, 5-6, 9 and 10c
R. (5) The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has given food to those who fear him;
he will forever be mindful of his covenant.
He has made known to his people the power of his works,
giving them the inheritance of the nations.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has sent deliverance to his people;
he has ratified his covenant forever;
holy and awesome is his name.
His praise endures forever.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia
2 Corinthians 8:9
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Mark 10:17-27
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 men it is impossible, but not for God.
All things are possible for God.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
The Path to Perfection
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…” Mark 10:17–19
Jesus addresses different people in different ways. He chastised the proud and arrogant who came to trap Him. He was exceptionally gentle and kind to the repentant sinner who came in tears. He spoke in parables and figures of speech to those who were curious but had little faith. And to those who came with openness, sincerely seeking the truth, He spoke clearly, lovingly and directly.
Today’s Gospel presents us with the familiar story of the Rich Young Man. Notice how this young man came to Jesus. First, he “ran up” to Jesus. This suggests he was very desirous to speak with our Lord. He also knelt down before Jesus, which points to his humility and reverence. Then he asked Jesus a direct and important question. He didn’t ask Jesus to heal someone. He wasn’t looking for a miracle or a personal favor. Instead, this young man asked the question we should all ask Jesus every day. “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Is this a question that you ponder and ask our Lord?
As the story unfolds, Jesus gives two answers. First, He gives the young man the fundamental answer to his question. Eternal life is obtained by keeping away from serious sin, out of love and obedience to the will of God. But after the young man inquires further, Jesus gives him a much deeper answer. This second answer was one based on a deep love for this young man because it presented the key to perfection. “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.”
Many people go through life fulfilling the most fundamental precepts of holiness. They avoid serious sin so as to remain in a state of grace. And this is good. But Jesus wants so much more: He wants perfection. When we sincerely seek out perfection, Jesus will answer us as He answered the Rich Young Man. Perfection requires the deepest purification from all unhealthy attachments. Most people have many attachments that hinder perfection. Those attachments might not be mortal sins, but they are venial sins, or spiritual imperfections. Therefore, it’s important to know that if you want perfection, and if you humble yourself before our Lord and sincerely ask how to obtain it, He will lovingly invite you to detach from everything but God and His holy will for your life. What that means practically for you must be prayerfully discerned.
Reflect, today, upon whether or not you could join this rich young man in his humble questions posed to Jesus. Do you want to know how to be perfect? If so, are you ready to respond to Jesus’ answer? Are you willing to abandon everything that is a hindrance to the will of God so that you can follow Him and fulfill His perfect will? Ponder this question and commit yourself to the full embrace of Jesus’ answer and you will become richer in what matters than you could ever imagine.
Reflection 2
By Fr. Martin Hogan
Sometimes when we ask a question, we can find the answer to our question difficult to come to terms with. That is the case with the rich man who ran up to Jesus in this morning’s gospel with the question, ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life?’ When Jesus asked him to go beyond the Ten Commandments he had been keeping and to sell all he owned and follow Jesus along the way, he couldn’t live with that answer. We are told that he walked away sad. Jesus did not ask everybody he met to sell everything and to journey with him, but he did ask this man. This was this man’s particular calling. Like this man, we can often find ourselves faced with a call to do something which seems beyond us. The temptation can be to walk away from the call, even though to say ‘yes’ to the call would be the path to life for us. The Lord can call any one of us beyond where we are; he can call on us to grow in our relationship with him, to be more generous in our response to his presence. We may not be able to answer that call in our own strength, but we will be able to answer it with the Lord’s strength. In the gospel reading, Jesus declares that ‘everything is possible for God’. When Mary was called to become the mother of Jesus and she hesitated, that was the message she heard. The angel declared to her ‘Nothing will be impossible with God’. It is the message we too will hear whenever we seek to answer the Lord’s very particular call to each of us.
Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word
The man who came to Jesus was honest, earnest and enthusiastic. However, his unwillingness to renounce his “great possession” prevented him from becoming a committed disciple of Jesus. Pope Francis speaks about two types of wealth that prevent us from being close to Jesus. The first is the culture of comfort. We seek only what gives us comfort. We always choose what gives us pleasure and ensures our well-being. He warns us, “Comfort casts us down, it robs us of courage, that strong courage to walk close to Jesus.’’ According to him the second type of wealth that prevents us from following Jesus closely is the “lure of the temporary”. This attitude does not produce in us any serious desire to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. It prevents people from making a firm commitment to Jesus.
Prayers
My generous Lord, You call me to perfection. You call me to turn from everything that hinders my perfect love of You and my full embrace of Your will. Please help me to sincerely turn to You every day, seeking only Your full will in all things. As I do, please set me free from all that keeps me from the life of perfection to which I am called. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, you have captured our hearts and opened to us the treasures of heaven. May you always be my treasure and delight and may nothing else keep me from giving you my all.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 147: Mercy through Deeds, Words and Prayers
Do you want to become an instrument of the unfathomable Mercy of God? If so, you do this by your deeds, your words and your prayers. First, you must constantly be on the “lookout” for opportunities to show Mercy by your deeds. Too often, when given the opportunity (such as to forgive another), we turn the other way. But we must be vigilant and committed to seeking these opportunities out and rejoicing when they are given. Second, your words can bring forth grace and Mercy, or they can wound and harm. We do harm by harshness or even by our failure to speak when we ought. We bring forth Mercy when we speak words of truth in love, even challenging words, so as to make present the Truth of God. And third, we often forget about the power of praying and offering sacrifices for others. Interceding for the world as a whole, and for individuals in particular, is a way of turning the key and opening the doors of God’s grace. Do not neglect this essential act of Mercy (See Diary #742).
Reflect upon your deeds, words and prayers. Can you point to concrete ways by which our Lord has used you to bring His Mercy to others? Try to identify a few of them and if you struggle with this examen, it is a good sign that the Lord wants to increase His daily outpouring of Mercy through you.
Lord, I consecrate to You my words, my actions and my life of prayer. Use me as You desire and help me to be attentive to Your daily inspiration. Help me to sincerely seek out opportunities, each and every day, all day long, by which I can spread Your perfect love in this world. I give myself to You, dear Lord. Jesus, I trust in You.
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