October Devotion: The Holy Rosary

This feast was established by Pope Pius V to commemorate the great victory of the Christian army against the Turks in the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.
All soldiers on the battlefield prayed the Rosary for three hours and the wind has shifted in their favor. They were able to defeat an army three times bigger, in one of the greatest naval victory in history.
Pope Pius V named this the Feast of Our Lady of Victories, to be celebrated on October 7th.
In 1573, Pope Gregory XIII changed the title of this memorial to Feast of the Holy Rosary.

Pope Paul VI established the form that we celebrate this feast today, in 1969 under the name “Our Lady of the Rosary”.
“The celebration of this day invites all to mediate upon the mysteries of Christ, following the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary who was so singularly associated with the incarnation, passion and glorious resurrection of the Son of God.”

Madonna del Rosario

Caravaggio

1607

1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)
5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.
Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.
End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Final step -- The Sign of the Cross
The Mysteries of the Rosary

By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.

The Joyful Mysteries
(Mondays and Saturdays)
1. The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38) [Spiritual fruit - Humility]
2. The Visitation (Luke 1: 39-56) [Spiritual fruit - Love of Neighbor]
3. The Nativity (Luke 2:1-20) [Spiritual fruit - Poverty of Spirit]
4. The Presentation (Luke 2:21-38) [Spiritual fruit - Purity of mind & body]
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52) [Spiritual fruit - Obedience ]

The Luminous Mysteries or Mysteries of Light
(Thursdays) see Rosarium Virginis Mariae
1. Jesus' Baptism in the Jordan (II Corinthians 5:21, Matthew 3:17 and parallels) [Spiritual fruit - Gratitude for the gift of Faith]
2. Jesus' self-manifestation at the wedding of Cana (John 2:1- 12) [Spiritual fruit - Fidelity]
3. Jesus' proclamation of the Kingdom of God, with His call to conversion (Mark 1:15, Mark 2:3-13; Luke 7:47- 48, John 20:22-23) [Spiritual fruit - Desire for Holiness]
4. Jesus' Transfiguration (Luke 9:35 and parallels) [Spiritual fruit - Spiritual Courage]
5. Jesus' institution of the Eucharist, as the sacramental expression of the Paschal Mystery. (Luke 24:13-35 and parallels, 1 Corinthians 11:24-25) [Spiritual fruit - Love of our Eucharistic Lord]
The Sorrowful Mysteries
(Tuesdays and Fridays)
1. The Agony in the Garden (Matthew 26:36-46, Luke 22:39-46) [Spiritual fruit - God's will be done]
2. The Scourging at the Pillar (Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:15, John 19:1) [Spiritual fruit - Mortification of the senses]
3. The Crowning with Thorns (Matthew 27:27-30, Mark 15:16-20, John 19:2) [Spiritual fruit - Reign of Christ in our heart]
4. The Carrying of the Cross (Matthew 27:31-32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26-32, John 19:17) [Spiritual fruit - Patient bearing of trials]
5. The Crucifixion (Matthew 27:33-56, Mark 15:22-39, Luke 23:33-49, John 19:17-37) [Spiritual fruit - Pardoning of Injuries]
The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]

The Fifteen Promises Granted to Those Who Recite the Rosary [Catholic Caucus]
Essays for Lent: The Rosary

Radio Replies Second Volume - The Rosary
Town Rejects Rosary as Offensive and the Prayers that Changed Everything
No-contact order over a student's rosary
Collecting 860 rosaries result of a lifelong passion (Catholic Caucus)
After rosary campaign, Florida sheriff abruptly shuts down abortion clinic on Marian feast
Public Rosary in San Francisco to draw thousands [Catholic Caucus]
Chicago's Incredible Floating Rosary
Enourmous Rosary floats over Chicago
Surprised by the Joyful Mysteries (of the Rosary) [Catholic Caucus]
HISTORY OF THE ROSARY [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]

The Rosary-a tool for evangelization [Catholic Caucus]
OUR LADY AND HEAVEN’S PEACE PLAN (Say the Rosary) [Ecumenical]
[CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] 5th Joyful Mystery: The Finding in the Temple (Patristic Rosary)
[CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] 4th Joyful Mystery: The Presentation (Patristic Rosary)
[CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] 3rd Joyful Mystery: The Nativity (Patristic Rosary)
Praying the Holy Rosary in October
[CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] 2nd Joyful Mystery: The Visitation (Patristic Rosary)
[CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] 1st Joyful Mystery: The Annuniciation (Patristic Rosary)
[CATHOLIC CAUCUS] On the Rosary
Lists Every Catholic Should be Familiar With: 15 [20] Mysteries of the Holy Rosary & When They Are Prayed

It Was the Rosary: Mainz Priest Talks About His Vocation
Rosary to Halt Construction of NYC Mosque (Catholic Caucus)
British Soldier Shot in Afghanistan is Saved by His ROSARY...Like His Great-Grandfather in WWII
Catholic Caucus: Rosary Beads Saved My Life, British Soldier Says
British soldier shot in Afghanistan is saved my his ROSARY
Rosary returned to Vietnam vet as pledged 44 years ago
Rosary for the Bishop celebrates six months of prayer, global expansion
Rosary Rallies for Priests Give Final Flourish to Their Special Year (ECUMENICAL)
The Unseen Power of the Rosary
Worldwide Rosary Relay to Offer Prayer for Priests

Boy Suspended For Rosary -- Reinstated
NY school sued after teen suspended over rosary
Student Suspended for Wearing Rosary Beads
[CATHOLIC CAUCUS] The 3:30 Beads!
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Private Devotions to Mary: The Rosary
Benedict XVI Promotes Rosary in Fatima [Catholic Caucus]
Archbishop Naumann, Bishop Finn Lead Mother's Day Rosary at Planned Parenthood
Did the Apostles Pray the Rosary? (First Novena to the Holy Spirit?) [Catholic Caucus]
The Importance of the Meditated Holy Rosary -- What the Popes have to say [Catholic Caucus]
A Ladder from Earth to Heaven: The Rosary for All Christians

Jesus is in the Holy Rosary
The Rosary, a powerful weapon against the devil
History of The Scriptural Rosary [Ecumenical]
The Lord Is with Thee
Rosary of Our Lady's Tears(Catholic Prayer Thread)
The Rosary and Me - Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
Rosary promoted as path to Christ and peace [at third annual Rosary Bowl NW]
The Efficacy and Power of One Hail Mary [Ecumenical]
“ Let Us Do It!“ (Sunday: Rosary to be simultaneously prayed on five continents)
The Fruits of the Mysteries of the Rosary

[Catholic Caucus] One Million Rosaries
The Family Rosary [Try it for Lent!] (Catholic Caucus)
History of the Scriptural Rosary - Meditating on The Word
Rosary Resurgence [Ecumenical]
Beginning Catholic: How to Pray the Rosary: Contemplating Christ With Mary [Ecumenical]
[Oregon] Rosary Bowl focuses on links between prayer, evangelization
Praying the Rosary By Bishop Fulton J. Sheen(Catholic Caucus)
Rosary-Prayers Aiming to Break Record [Catholic Caucus]
Rosary vs. Repetitious Prayer [Ecumenical]
The Luminous Mysteries [of the Rosary]: Knowing Jesus in His Public Ministry

Rosary Is a School of Mary, Says Pope: Encourages Recitation [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
New campaign launched to promote family rosary
The Rosary and the Republic
Chant the Rosary... in Latin!
(...)and the rosary
Estimated 50,000 recite rosary in event at Rose Bowl
Our Lady of Victory (HLI Page)
Rosary to Mark St. Martha's Feast
Pray the Rosary
Rosary Aids Spiritual Growth, Says Pope

Remembering Lepanto
The Battle that Saved the Christian West (October 7, 1571: Battle of Lepanto)
Battle of Lepanto: Armada of the Cross
Remember Lepanto
How Europe Escaped Speaking Arabic
Bishop compares election to Battle of Lepanto
Bishop compares election to Battle of Lepanto
The Battle of Lepanto
Civilization in the Balance: The Battle of Lepanto and Election ‘08
LEPANTO

A Call To Prayer: This Lepanto Moment [Repost]
Lepanto, 1571: The Battle That Saved Europe
Celebrating the Battle of Lepanto
Clash of civilizations: Battle of Lepanto revisited
Lepanto, Bertone e Battesimo, Oh My!
Lepanto Sunday
Our Lady of the Rosary of La Naval (A Mini-Lepanto in the Philippines)
Swiss Guards at the Battle of Lepanto, 7 October 1571
Battle of Lepanto
LEPANTO, 7 OCTOBER 1571: The Defense of Europe

Battle of Lepanto
Remember Lepanto!
The Battle of Lepanto
On This Day In History, The Battle of Lepanto
The Battle of Lepanto
Chesterton's Lepanto
The Miracle At Lepanto...
Lepanto
The Naval Battle of Lepanto
The Battle of Lepanto

October, 2018

The Holy Father's Prayer Intention

Evangelization – The Mission of Religious That consecrated religious men and women may bestir themselves, and be present among the poor, the marginalized, and those who have no voice.

'It is God's custom to interweave human life with a trouble and a consolation, at least, of an interior sort, alternately.'

St. Philip Neri

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

Arlington Catholic Herald

He went away sad

By Fr. Robert Wagner | For the Catholic Herald

10/10/18

As Disciples of Christ, we must protect ourselves from misconceptions about wealth and prosperity. One such error is the belief that the more faithful one is, the more God blessed him or her with material success. This is sometimes called the prosperity Gospel, and a selective reading of Scripture might make a case for it. The psalms tell us that the faithful will inherit the earth and “abide in prosperity” (Ps 37:9, 25:13). Jesus himself, in the parables of the talents, has the master increase the wealth of his faithful servants, promising that “for everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich” (Mt 25:28-29).

Yet, the life of Jesus assures us that this is not true. Our Lord is perfectly holy, yet he had nowhere to rest his head (Lk 9:58), and despite his sanctity, he encounters not prosperity, but trials, even unto death. Quite the contrary to the prosperity Gospel, Jesus makes it clear that those who choose to follow him should not expect material wealth and comfort, but instead should expect to carry the cross (Lk 14:27). Certainly, these two are not mutually exclusive, although some might expect prosperity to mean freedom from suffering. It does not.

Another misconception about wealth is that those who have it are evil. We falsely might obtain this impression from our Gospel this Sunday. A rich young man asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life, and Our Lord tells him to follow the commandments. When the young man says that he already is faithful to God’s law, Jesus tells him that he is still lacking one thing: he must sell all he has and give it to the poor. Hearing this, the rich young man is distressed and goes away sad, “for he had many possessions” (Mk 10:22).

In itself, wealth is not evil, nor are people with wealth. It was the wealth of others that allowed Jesus to live his poverty (Lk 8:3). It is also the wealth of others that helps to care for those in need. Jesus did not tell the rich young man to sell his possessions and then throw all of his money into the sea. Instead, he asked him to use his wealth to serve the poor.

While we recognize we must all give to those in need, we also recognize that Jesus was calling this young man to a particular vocation: a life of poverty. Others who had wealth, such as Joseph of Arimathea (Mt 27:57), were not told to sell everything they had and give to the poor. Yet, Jesus chose this young man for a particular vocation, one that went beyond living a life of common virtue and was aimed toward sanctity through radical poverty. Jesus still calls people to this life today, as we see in each of the religious priests, brother and sisters whose spirituality includes a particular vow of poverty.

Not all of us are called to radical poverty. While God distributes the goods of the earth unevenly among us, we recognize them as having a universal destination for all of God’s children. “Man should regard the external things that he legitimately possesses not only as his own but also as common in the sense that they should be able to benefit not only him but also others” (Gaudium et Spes, 69,1). Yes, we have a responsibility and need to provide for our families and ourselves, but we also have a responsibility to care for those who do not have the same resources.

Thus, we see that greed is an obstacle to doing the will of God. All possessions and wealth are morally neutral. They can be used for good or bad. However, an inordinate selfish desire for worldly prosperity is sinful. Therefore, as St. Paul wrote, “The love of money is the root of all evils” (1 Tim 6:10).

It was this desire for wealth, and not the freedom to give it away generously, that prevented the rich young man from following Jesus. What may have led to his greater sadness was that before he asked him to give up all he owned, Jesus showed his great love to the rich young man (Mk 10:21). In that moment, the rich young man likely knew the peace and goodness that awaited him with Christ. However, his inability to sacrifice the comfort of his goods for the sake of following the one who loved him, led to his broken heart, and caused him to go away sad.

Let us pray that we may always recognize the responsibility toward caring for those in need that comes with the material gifts we receive, and that we obtain the generosity that brings us peace, joy, and the freedom to follow the will of God with all of our heart.

Fr. Wagner is parochial vicar at St. Veronica Church in Chantilly.

https://www.theworkofgod.org/Devotns/Euchrist/HolyMass/gospels.asp?key=30

Year B - 28th Sunday in ordinary time

One thing is wanting from you: go, sell whatsoever you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.
Mark 10:17-30
17 As he was setting out in a journey, a certain man running up and kneeling before him, asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may receive life everlasting?
18 And Jesus said to him, why do you call me good? None is good but one, that is God.
19 You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, bear not false witness, do no fraud, honour your father and mother.
20 But he answering, said to him: Master, all these things I have observed from my youth.
21 And Jesus looking on him, loved him, and said to him: One thing is wanting from you: go, sell whatsoever you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.
22 Who being struck sad at that saying, went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
23 And Jesus looking round about, said to his disciples: How hardly shall they that have riches, enter into the kingdom of God!
24 And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus again answering, said to them: Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches, to enter into the kingdom of God?
25 It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
26 Who wondered the more, saying among themselves: Who then can be saved?
27 And Jesus looking on them, said: With men it is impossible; but not with God: for all things are possible with God.
28 And Peter began to say unto him: Behold, we have left all things, and have followed you.
29 Jesus answering, said: Amen I say to you, there is no man who has left house or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or children, or lands, for my sake and for the gospel,
30 Who shall not receive a hundred times as much, now in this time; houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions: and in the world to come life everlasting.

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Why do you call me good? No one is good but God. Let us reflect on this. Of course I am good; I am God. But I have said this to clarify the divine goodness compared to that of human beings. There are many who are good for the Glory of God. They strive constantly to grow spiritually, which is very desirable; but it is so difficult to equal the divine goodness. By contrast there are many who consider themselves good with their auto justification, without knowing that they are harming themselves with their pride.

Here we have another call to humility. That rich man who came to me, considered himself good because he was doing many good things, but because he was rich, his heart was in material riches, not in the Kingdom of Heaven. I exhorted him to perfection, calling him to detach himself from what is earthly, to share with the poor and to follow me so that he could accumulate treasures of goodness in Heaven.

Many are deceived with the concept they have about themselves, they think that they are very well before God. I call them to humility, in which the concept that really matters is the one I have of you.

My wish is for every one to seek to be good as I am good, to be holy as I am holy, to be perfect as I am perfect. In order to do good things before God, you must have great desire to please Him, in other words you must obey the commandments, travel by the road of humility, practice abnegation, put into practice my teachings and keep a very humble concept of yourselves with respect to God. Here is where many stumble in the spiritual way, the same happened to Lucifer (light bearer) who was the most beautiful angel, his beauty and perfections made him blind up to the point of feeling equal and greater than God. That cost him his eternal ruin. (Ezequiel 28:1-19)

No one can make himself good, holy or perfect. This is my work in each soul; this is why I have come trace my way, so that all those who follow me obtain perfection through my Grace.

For this reason I have said, he who exults himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

My way is poor but takes you to eternal riches. My truth is hard and painful but takes you to wisdom and eternal joy. My life is the life of the soul, those who die to the world begin to live for me and to enjoy the life I offer for all eternity.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary

Archdiocese of Washington

What Does Heaven Cost? A Homily for the 28th Sunday of the Year

Msgr. Charles Pope • October 13, 2018 •

The Rich Young Man Goes Away Sorrowful, J. Tissot (1894)

The Sunday Gospel invites us to wrestle with these fundamental, essential, focal questions: “What does Heaven cost?” and “Am I willing to pay it?”

I. Problematic Pondering – A rich man asks Jesus, Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?

Though his question is a good one, it is problematic because he couches it in terms of his own personal power and achievement. He wonders what he himself must do to attain eternal life.

The problem is that none of us has the holiness, the spiritual wealth, or the power to attain Heaven based merely on what we do. The kind of righteousness we need can come only from God. The misguided question of the rich man betrays two common misunderstandings that people bring to the question of salvation and the need for redemption.

The first misunderstanding comes about because we underestimate the seriousness of our condition. We tend to think that we’re basically in good shape. Perhaps we have a few flaws, but fundamentally we mean well and are decent. We suspect that a few sacraments, occasional prayers, and some spiritual “push-ups” will be sufficient. Any look to the crucifix should belie these notions. If it took the horrible death of the Son of God to rescue us, then our condition must be worse than we, with our darkened intellect, imagine.

Jesus related a parable of a man who owed a huge debt—10,000 talents (cf Mt 18:24). This was an amount so large as to be almost unimaginable. No one with such a debt is going to be able to repay it merely by working a little overtime or picking up an additional part-time job. The point is that we humans are in deep trouble and have absolutely no ability to rescue ourselves.

A second misunderstanding comes about because we tend to intellectualize and minimize what the law of God requires. We ask, “What must I do?” rather than “What must I become?” This bespeaks a law-based approach that seeks a manageable list of things to do in order to be saved rather than an open-ended relationship with God. “Okay, so I’m not supposed to kill anyone. No problem, I don’t like the sight of blood anyway. I’ve got this commandment down!” This thinking minimizes the commandment and what it asks of us.

These two misunderstandings seem to undergird the problematic nature of the rich man’s question. In order to engage the man further, Jesus in effect plays along with the premise; this leads us to the second point.

II. Playful Prescription – Jesus decides to follow up on the man’s premise, saying to him, 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.

Jesus is being playful here in that He continues with the flawed premise of the man: that he can attain to Heaven by something he does.

It is interesting to ponder why Jesus quotes only the Second Table of the Law, the part pertaining to love of neighbor, omitting reference to the First Table of the Law, the commandments pertaining to love of God. Perhaps it is because the Lord recognizes that the man does love Him, for he is seeking the Kingdom of Heaven and asking how to enter into it. Therefore, the Lord focuses on the Second Table of the Law, which is in evidence in this man’s life, at least in this interaction. Further, as Scripture says elsewhere, How can you say you love God whom you do not see, if you do not love your neighbor whom you do see? (1 John 4:20) Hence, the Second Table of the Law fleshes out the First Table of the Law.

The Lord is not affirming here that the keeping of the commandments can save us or justify us. Even if we consider ourselves blameless, Scripture says, the just man sins seven times a day (Prov 24:16). We can affirm with Isaiah that, I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips (Is 6:5), and we must say with St. Paul, I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died for no purpose (Gal 2:21).

While the law gives us a necessary and clear frame of reference for what pleases God, its summons Be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy (Lev 19:22) is not attainable through mere human effort unaided by grace. Jesus makes it clear that when God says, Be holy, He does not have in mind mere human holiness, for Jesus says, Be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48).

Thus, Jesus is drawing out the man’s problematic premise, but as we next see, the rich man doesn’t take the hint.

III. Perceived Perfection – Strangely—and humorously to our mind—the man boldly says, Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.

Notice that the man’s perfection is perceived; simply noting it in himself does not mean that he actually has it in himself. Having heard Jesus quote the Second Table of the Law, he announces that he has observed all of these from his youth.

To be fair, his self-analysis was not uncommon for a Jewish man of his time. The Jewish people had a great reverence for the law, a beautiful thing in itself, but they tended to understand it in a fairly legalistic and perfunctory way.

For example, in a conversation with Jesus, a scribe of the law asks Him, And who is my neighbor? (Luke 10:29) It’s as if he is saying, “If I have to love my neighbor—and I acknowledge my duty to do so—how can I define ‘neighbor’ in such a way that this is manageable?” In other words, I recognize that I have limits. If justice comes to the law, then the law must have limits, defined in such a way that the keeping of the law remains within my power.

Jesus sets aside such thinking in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5-7), in which He calls for the law to be observed not in a minimalistic sense but in a way that fills it to the fullest. Jesus says that it is not enough not to kill; we must also reject anything that ultimately leads to killing or to wishing people were dead. The commandment not to kill requires not only that we not take life, but also that we banish from our heart and mind, by God’s grace, hateful anger, retribution, and revenge. The commandment not to commit adultery requires not merely that we avoid breaking the marital vows, but also that we banish from our heart and mind, by God’s grace, any lustful, impure, and unrighteous sexual thoughts.

Hence, the commandments and precepts of the law cannot, and should not, be understood in a minimalistic way. Jesus sets aside the usual manner of the people of His day: reducing the law to something manageable and then declaring that they have kept it. God seeks more than perfunctory observance. His grace desires to accomplish within us wholehearted observance. We need grace in order to be saved, in order to qualify for anything that God calls holy.

So, Jesus sets aside the rich man’s claims of righteousness and is now is ready to address the question, “What does Heaven cost?”

IV. Pricey Prescription – What does Heaven cost? Everything! Jesus, looking at the man with love, says 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.

Ultimately, the cost of Heaven is leaving this world and everything in it to go and possess God and Heaven. To have Heaven we must set aside this world, not only its life but its pomp, ephemeral glories, and passing pleasures. If you want Heaven you’ve got to leave here!

Although we know this, we often live in a way that seeks to postpone the inevitable and to ignore the joke that this world is ultimately playing on us. The world says, “You can have it all!” Yes, you can, but then you die and lose everything. We like to postpone facing that fact, pretending that perhaps it ain’t necessarily so. We’re like the gambler who goes to the casino thinking he will be the exception to the general rule that the house always wins. You can’t cheat life; whatever we have when we die, whatever we claim to have won, we lose.

In the end, there is only one way to attain the things of lasting value. Only what you do for Christ will last. The Lord says, Store up for yourselves treasure in heaven, that neither rust nor moths can corrode, nor thieves break in and steal (Lk 12:33).

The Lord says that being generous to the needy and poor is a way of storing up treasure in Heaven. Sadly, most of us don’t believe that, thinking that clinging to our “treasure” here is a way of keeping it. It isn’t. Whatever we have here is slipping through our fingers like so much sand. The only way to keep it unto life eternal is to give it away to the needy and poor and to allow it to advance the Kingdom of Heaven and its values.

Otherwise, wealth is not only not helpful it is actually harmful. There are many texts in the Scriptures that speak of the danger and the harm of wealth, how it compromises our souls and endangers our salvation:

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Mk 10:23-25).
For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world; 8 but if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced their hearts with many pangs (1 Tim 6:7).
No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money (Luke 16:13).
But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep (Luke 6:24-25).
But many that are first will be last, and the last first (Mat 19:30).
Listen, my beloved brethren. Has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to those who love him? (James 2:5).

While the Lord’s claim that Heaven costs everything bewilders us, we cannot fail to see its truth and that the world’s claims on us are rooted in a lie, in false declarations that we can be secure in the passing glories of the world. You can have the passing glories of the world, but then you die—end of glory. Because we like the lie, we entertain it. In the end, though, we give everything back because it was never ours to begin with, it only seemed that way.

How foolish we are, how blind! Speaking of blindness, note that the Lord looked at the man with love, yet the man went away sad. That look of love from the Lord never reached his soul. If it had, the result would surely have been different.

V. Powerful Possibility – So shocking is this teaching that even the apostles, who had in fact left everything to follow the Lord, are shocked by it. They see and are in touch with the depth of this wound in the human heart, the depth of our delusion that the world and its goods can satisfy us. They see and know how strong and numerous are the hooks that this world has in us. Thus, they cry out, Then who can be saved? Jesus responds, For man it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God.

In the end, salvation must be God’s work. He alone can take these tortured hearts of ours, so rooted in passing things, and make them willing to forsake all things for the Kingdom of Heaven. Only God can take our disordered love and direct it to its proper end: the love rooted in God and the things awaiting us in Heaven. Only God can remove our obsession with the Titanic and place us squarely in the Noah’s Ark that is the Church, the Barque of Peter.

Yes, God can give us a new heart, a properly ordered heart, a heart that desires first and foremost God’s love, a heart that can say, “I gratefully receive what you give me, Lord, and I covet nothing more. Thank you, Lord. It is enough. You, O Lord, are enough.”

Don’t miss the look of love that Jesus gave the young man, the look that He gives you. In the end, only a greater love, God’s love received, can replace the disordered love we have for this world.

St. Augustine wrote,

Such, O my soul, are the miseries that attend on riches. They are gained with toil and kept with fear. They are enjoyed with danger and lost with grief. It is hard to be saved if we have them; and impossible if we love them; and scarcely can we have them, but that we shall love them inordinately. Teach us, O Lord, this difficult lesson: to manage conscientiously the goods we possess and not covetously desire more than you give to us (Letter 203).

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 (Wisdom 7:7-1).

Video

Sunday Gospel Reflections

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading I: Wisdom 7:7-11 II: Hebrews 4:12-13

Gospel
Mark 10:17-30

¹⁷ And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
¹⁸ And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.
¹⁹ You know the commandments: 'Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'"
²⁰ And he said to him, "Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth."
²¹ And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."
²² At that saying his countenance fell, and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.
²³ And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"
²⁴ And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
²⁶ And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, "Then who can be saved?"
²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God."
²⁸ Peter began to say to him, "Lo, we have left everything and followed you."
²⁹ Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel,
³⁰ who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.

Interesting Details

(v.18) When Jesus reprimands the rich man that "no one is good but God alone," Jesus is not denying His divine status or mission (see Mk 9:37). Rather, He wants the rich man to fix his eyes upon God as the only source of goodness.
(vv.21-22) This is one of the saddest stories in the Gospel. A man whom Jesus loves rejects His invitation to discipleship. When the man asks "what must I do to receive eternal life?" He does not realize a call to discipleship would mean so much sacrifice.
(vv.23-24) On addressing His disciples, Jesus begins by stressing the difficulty of the rich entering heaven; then He passes quickly to stressing that entering heaven is very hard for everyone. In fact, it is impossible!
v.25 demonstrates just how impossible it is to enter heaven based on human achievements alone.
(v.26) In Judaism, wealth was at times taken as God's blessing. Therefore, the disciples were astonished that God said it was hard for the rich to enter heaven. Jesus had changed the meaning of wealth .
(v.27) Salvation is not through man's achievements. It is God's achievement.
(v.28) Peter's statement contrasts the disciples actions against that of the rich man. "We have given up everything to follow you". Their "everything" may not be money. It is whatever they cling to that is not God: be it family, social status, behaviors...
(v.30) Jesus lists the promised rewards, which are a hundredfold more than the sacrifices of following him. Not only will his disciples receive eternal life, but in this life too they will receive much.
(v.30) "and persecutions as well". Is this an ironic description of the "rewards?" Or is it simply the reality of Christian experience?

One Main Point

"Good Master, what must I do to receive eternal life?" "Come and follow me..." It may be difficult for men, but "...all things are possible with God."

Reflections

I examine my current life: my wealth (be it rich or poor), my health (be it well or sick), my behaviors. Which helps me be closer to God? Which keeps me away from Him?
Jesus' teachings are demanding and challenging. I ask that He look upon me with love, so that I can trust Him like a child upon his parent, to trust that "all things are possible with God."

Information: St. Callistus I

Feast Day: October 14

Died: 223

Patron of: cemetery workers

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/3696617/posts?page=2

Saint of the Day — Saint Callistus I

Pope Saint Callistus

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Sunday, October 14

Liturgical Color: Green

Today the Church recalls St. Dominic
Loricatus. When he discovered that his
father paid a bribe to have him ordained a
priest, he dedicated himself to a life of
extreme penance. He was appointed
prior of a hermitage founded by St. Peter
Damian.

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: October 14th

Twenty-Eighth Sunday of Ordinary Time

MASS READINGS

October 14, 2018 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

May your grace, O Lord, we pray, at all times go before us and follow after and make us always determined to carry out good works. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Old Calendar: Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost

And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." At that saying his countenance fell, and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!" (Mk 10:21-23).

The feast of St. Calistus I, which is ordinarily celebrated today, is superseded by the Sunday liturgy.

Click here for commentary on the readings in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

Sunday Readings
The first reading is taken from the Book of Wisdom, 7:7-11 and is the conclusion of the fourth Suffering Servant Song; Christ's divine gifts become our means to salvation.

The second reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 4:12-13 which discusses how Christ, our high priest, is greater than the priests of the Mosaic Law. Our confidence is based on Christ's high priesthood. He is the perfect priest because He is merciful and compassionate. As man, He has experienced the sufferings that affect us, although He was free from sin. Since He knows our weaknesses so well, He can give us the help we need, and when He comes to judge us, He will take that weakness into account. We should respond to the Lord's goodness by staying true to our profession of faith. A Christian needs to live up to all the demands of his calling; he should be single-minded and free from doubts.

The Gospel is from St. Mark, 10:17-30. By coming to Jesus with his problem this man has done all Christians a good turn. We have learned from Christ's answer that over-attachment to worldly goods is one of the big obstacles to entering heaven. The man in this story was a good-living man, he kept all the commandments from his youth upward and he had an interest in eternal life, while many of his compatriots of that day had not. Reading this man's heart like an open book, Christ saw that not only was he fit for eternal life but that he was one who could have a very high place in heaven if he would leave everything and become a close follower of his. Not only would he become a saint, but he would lead many to sanctity.

The price to pay for this privilege, however, seemed too high to this "good man." "He had great possessions" and he was too attached to them so he could not accept Christ's offer, "his countenance fell and he went away sorrowful." Although his case was exceptional, Christ saw in him the makings of a saint and he asked him to make an exceptional sacrifice, one which he did not and does not ask of all his followers; his remark to the disciples later: "how hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God" holds for all time and for all mankind.

This statement of Christ, however, does not mean that a follower may not possess any of this world's goods. He may possess and use those goods, but what he must not do is to allow them to take such a hold on him that he has no time for acquiring everlasting goods— the Christian virtues. Unfortunately, there are Christians whose whole purpose in this life is the accumulation of worldly goods. Concentration on such accumulation is wrong, but in many cases the methods of acquisition are unjust: defrauding laborers of their just wages; overcharging customers; cheating in business deals; giving false measures and many other devices which produce unearned wealth.

All this is far from Christian justice, and those who have let such sinful greed to regulate their lives are certainly not on the road to heaven. There are other sins, of course, which can keep us from heaven, but of all the sins a man can commit this irrational greed for the wealth of this world seems the most unreasonable of them all. How utterly inane and foolish to have spent a lifetime collecting something from which we shall soon be parted forever! The rich man's bank-book and his gilt-edged shares will be not only valueless in the after-life but they, if unjustly acquired, will be witnesses for the prosecution at the judgment on which one's eternal future depends. While most of us are not guilty of such excessive greed for wealth, we all do need to examine our consciences as to how we acquire and use the limited wealth we have. There are very rich men who have acquired their wealth honestly and justly and who spend much of their wealth on charitable causes. Their wealth will not hinder them from reaching heaven. On the other hand, there are many in the middle and lower income-bracket who may be offending against justice through the means they use to acquire what they have, and in the little helps which they refuse to a needy neighbor. We may not be able to found a hospital for the poor, or pay an annuity to support the family of a disabled fellow workman, but we are not excused from bringing a little gift to our neighbors who are in hospital, or from supplying even part of a meal for the dependants of the injured workman.

Remember that Christ praised the widow who put a mite (a cent) into the collection-box for the poor in the temple area, and he also said that a cup of cold water given in his name would not go without reward. We need not be rich in order to be charitable; often our own exaggerated sense of our poverty can make us hard-hearted and mean toward our fellowmen who look to us for help. The true Christian, whose principal purpose in life is to serve God, will not overburden himself with unnecessary pieces of luggage; instead he will travel light and be ever ready to help others also to carry their burdens.

Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.

Daily Gospel Commentary

Saint John Chrysostom (c.345-407)
priest at Antioch then Bishop of Constantinople, Doctor of the Church
Sermon 63 on St Matthew ; PG 58,603

"You will have treasure in heaven"

Christ had said to the young man: “If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Mt 19:17). He asks: “Which ones?”, not at all to test him but because he imagines that there must be some further commandments for him that will win him life besides the commandments of the Law of Moses. It proved his eager desire. When Jesus had repeated the commandments of the Law, the young man said: “All these I have observed since my youth”. Nor did he stop there; he asked: “What do I still lack?” (Mt 19:20), this being proof itself of his eager desire. It is no small-minded person who believes himself to be still lacking something and who finds the ideal put forward for attaining the object of his desire to be deficient.

And what will Christ say? He suggests something great. First of all he sets out the reward when he says: “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me”. Do you notice what a prize, what crowns he offers for this sporting pursuit?... To draw him he shows him a costly reward and leaves everything to his own judgement. Whatever might appear more difficult he leaves in shadow. Before speaking to him of conflicts and effort he shows him the reward: “ If you wish to be perfect” he says, and this is the glory and the happiness!... “You will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me”: this is the reward, the wonderful reward of following Christ and being his companion and friend! That young man valued earthly riches; Christ counsels him to rid himself of them, not to reduce him to abject poverty but to make him even richer.

A Christian Pilgrim

HOW HARD IT WILL BE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE RICHES TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD!

(A biblical refection on THE 28^th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME [YEAR B] – 14 October 2018)

Gospel Reading: Mark 10:17-30

First Reading: Wisdom 7:7-11; Psalms: Psalm 90:12-17; Second Reading: Hebrews 4:12-13

The Scripture Text

And as He was setting out on His journey, a man ran up and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to Him, “Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth.” And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” At that saying his countenance fell, and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.

And Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the Kingdom of God!” And the disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the Kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.” And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to Him, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.” Peter began to say to Him, “Lord, we have left everything and followed You.” Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for My sake and for the Gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.” (Mark 10:17-30 RSV)

When Jesus says in today’s Gospel that it is difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God, the apostles can’t believe t heir ears because, like many of the other Jews of their day, they thought the rich had the best shot at being holy.

The Jews considered their laws to be a road map to holiness. A person who followed the laws was holy and someone who broke a law (even if they didn’t know what it was) was a sinner. Since most poor people had to work long hours for the basic necessities of life, hey didn’t have the time to study and learn all the Jewish laws in Scripture and tradition. Therefore, holiness was out of their reach.

Because the rich didn’t have to work so hard, they were able to devote more of their time to learning the interpretations of the law and had a better chance at being holy. Some of them even believed their prosperity was a sign that God was indeed pleased with them.

When Jesus says 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, He isn’t talking about a sewing needle. Instead, He may be referring to a gate of the city of Jerusalem.

Ancient people built high walls around their cities for protection from hostile armies. They opened gates in the morning and closed these gates at dusk so invaders could not enter the city at night and capture it while everyone slept. The city of Jerusalem had seven main gates and several smaller ones. These gates were narrow and low so the enemy could not ride in on horseback but would first have to dismount and then proceed in on foot. The people of Jerusalem nicknamed one low and narrow gate “the eye of the needle”.

Although this gate kept the enemy out, it also made it difficult for traders who came from distant lands (often with camels laden with heavy, bulky packages) to get into the city. The trader had to unload all the goods from the camel, get the camel to bend down and squeeze through the gate, carry the goods through the gate himself, and then reload the camel. This whole process was time-consuming, hard work.

Jesus is saying in today’s Gospel that just as it is difficult for a camel to get through the eye of the needle because of the baggage, it is difficult for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God. “If it’s hard for a rich man to be holy”, the apostles must have reasoned, “then what chance do poor fishermen like us have?” Jesus tells them not to despair because He doesn’t measure holiness by what a person owns, but by what one is willing to give up in order to follow Him. Whoever sacrifices family and possessions for the sake of the Gospel will have everlasting life.

Please take a few minutes to ask ourselves and answer the question honestly: “Would I be willing to sacrifice some of my own wealth to spread the Gospel?

(Adapted from Jerome J. Sabatowich, Cycling Through the Gospels – Gospel Commentaries for Cycles A, B, and C, pages 212-213.)

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I surrender everything that I am to You. Search my heart and show me what hinders me from answering Your call in every moment of my life. Amen.

The Gospel in Pictures

Marriage = One Man and One Woman Until Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for October 14, 2018:

“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.” (Mk 10:21) When you have family members to care for, you cannot sell everything, but that doesn’t mean you can’t live a simple life. Give what you can to others and give all that you have to God.

A Rich Young Man Encounters Jesus

Pastor’s Column

28^th Sunday Ordinary Time

October 14, 2018

Is there something lacking in my relationship with God? In this Sunday’s gospel of the rich young man and his haunting encounter with Jesus (Mark 10:17-30), Mark has an added detail that the other Gospels lack – he notes that Jesus looks at this young man and loves him. Why does he love him so much? The young man has spent his whole life trying to love God without even realizing it, because he was trying to keep the Commandments. Trying to keep the Commandments of God is how I love God. Breaking the commandments is when I do not love God. It is really just that simple. Once again, we see that love is not a feeling we have for someone – even though that is important– rather, love is a series of actions, of behaviors, of being obedient to what God asks me to do.

This rich young man has reached a very critical point in his life. Without realizing it he has literally come to the opportunity of a lifetime, one that would never come again, one that would come to very few people in human history. In most other Gospel accounts of a personal call by Jesus, it is the Lord himself who seeks the person out and says, "follow me", but here it is the rich man himself who takes the initiative as Jesus is about to walk away!

No doubt the rich young man had been watching and listening to Jesus. Now he sees his opportunity slipping away. He's been hesitating – perhaps afraid to ask. He knows that Jesus is about to get up and go away, so he finally summons his courage and comes before Jesus to ask his question. He is not far from the kingdom of God, yet he misses his opportunity because something is held back. Money and wealth are not everyone's problem, but it was this man's problem. All that he might have been in this world and in the next is hanging on this one decision. The man chooses his worldly possessions and goes away sad.

Imagine yourself running up to Jesus as he's about to set out on a journey. What would you say to him? What would he say to you? Would you have the courage to ask him "What more do I need to do? Or perhaps, “What is coming between you and me, Lord, in our relationship?” And then, do you have the courage to act on his Word?

There are many ways I can tell what priority God has in my life. For example, if I don't attend Mass on Sunday because there's a sports game on, then sports are more important to me than Jesus. If I find time for everything but prayer, then almost everything is more important than Jesus. How I act with the people I love at home is an indication of how much I love Christ, too. How I spend my money is a very good indication of my real priorities. We can tell a great deal about God’s place by simply looking at our checkbook. What have I done with what God has given me in my life? What is that one thing you and God will agree on that you must do? If God should reveal this to you, if you have the courage to ask, also pray for the courage to act, and not to go away sad like this man did!

Father Gary

Reflections from Scott Hahn

Wisdom and Riches: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Download Audio File

Christ and the Rich Young Ruler, Heinrich Hoffman, 1889

Readings:
Wisdom 7:7–11
Psalm 90:12–17
Hebrews 4:12–13
Mark 10:17–30

The rich young man in today’s Gospel wanted to know what we all want to know—how to live in this life so that we might live forever in the world to come. He sought what today’s Psalm calls “wisdom of heart.”

He learns that the wisdom he seeks is not a program of works to be performed or behaviors to be avoided. As Jesus tells him, observing the commandments is essential to walking the path of salvation—but it can only get us so far.

The Wisdom of God is not precepts, but a person—Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Wisdom whose Spirit was granted to Solomon in today’s First Reading. Jesus is the Word of God spoken of in today’s Epistle. And Jesus, as He reveals Himself to the rich man today, is God.

In Jesus we encounter Wisdom, the living and effective Word of God. As He does with the rich man today, He looks upon each of us with love. That look of love, that loving gaze, is a personal invitation—to give up everything to follow Him.

Nothing is concealed from His gaze, as we hear in the Epistle. In His fiery eyes, the thoughts of our hearts are exposed, and each of us must render an account of our lives (see Revelation 1:14).

We must have the attitude of Solomon, preferring Wisdom to all else, loving Him more than even life itself. This preference, this love, requires a leap of faith. We will be persecuted for this faith, Jesus tells His disciples today. But we must trust in His promise—that all good things will come to us in His company.

What, then, are the “many possessions” that keep us from giving ourselves totally to God? What are we clinging to—material things, comfort zones, relationships? What will it take for us to live fully for Christ’s sake and the sake of the Gospel?

Let us pray for the wisdom to enter into the kingdom of God. With the Psalmist, let us ask Him, “Teach us.”