Daily Mass Gospel Reflection - All Things Possible

Word on Fire Ministry ^ | 8.16.22 | Bishop Robert Barron

[MurphsLaw]

TWENTIETH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

MATTHEW 19:23–30

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus says to his disciples:
“Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven.”
When the disciples express their astonishment at this—
“Who then can be saved?”—
Jesus replies, “For men this is impossible,
but for God all things are possible.”

When we fail on the spiritual path, we must become, like Bartimaeus, beggars.
When we stumble in our attempts to follow the law or to set out on the high adventure of discipleship,
we must not fall into discouragement or self-reproach.
We must once again cry out, “Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison,”
relying not on our own powers but on God.

Thérèse of Lisieux commented that, amidst the many spiritual athletes and strivers around her,
she felt like a little helpless child, lifting her arms up and begging to be carried.
The heavenly Father, like any good parent,
could hardly resist such a sight,
and thus she found herself lifted higher than the spiritual “giants.”

With us, it is finally impossible;
but with God, all things—
including the making of saints—are possible.

[MurphsLaw]

+++Jesus said to his disciples:
“Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich
to enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Again I say to you,
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.”
When the disciples heard this,
they were greatly astonished and said,
“Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said,
“For men this is impossible,
but for God all things are possible.”
Then Peter said to him in reply,
“We have given up everything and followed you.
What will there be for us?”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you
that you who have followed me, in the new age,
when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory,
will yourselves sit on twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters
or father or mother or children or lands
for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more,
and will inherit eternal life.
But many who are first will be last,
and the last will be first.”+++