Saturday, October 10, 2015

Perfection through giving up of wealth while obeying God’s edicts


October 11, 2015

Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B


7Therefore I prayed, and prudence was given me; I pleaded and the spirit of Wisdom came to me. 8I preferred her to scepter and throne, And deemed riches nothing in comparison with her, 9nor 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.

10Beyond 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. 11Yet all good things together came to me in her company, and countless riches at her hands;
  

12Teach us to count our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. 13Relent, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants!

14Fill us at daybreak with your mercy,h that all our days we may sing for joy. 
15Make us glad as many days as you humbled us, for as many years as we have seen trouble.i

16Show your deeds to your servants, your glory to their children. 

17May the favor of the Lord our God be ours.Prosper the work of our hands! Prosper the work of our hands! 


12Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.

13No creature is concealed from Him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must render an account. 


17As He 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?"

18Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.

19You 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."

20He replied and said to him, "Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth."

21Jesus, 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."

22At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

23Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!"

24The 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! 25It 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."

26They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, "Then who can be saved?" 27Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God."

28Peter began to say to Him, "We have given up everything and followed you." 
29Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel 30who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.


Notes on Readings:

A).  Book of Wisdom 7:1 - First man formed on earth: Adam. The author excludes throughout the book the proper characters’ proper names in sacred history of whom he verbalizes; see especially Wisdom 10.

B). Book of Wisdom 7:2 - In a ten-months' period: hence the ancients were used to calculate the period of pregnancy.

C). Mark 10:18 - Why do you call me good?: Jesus disclaims the term "good" for Himself and directs it to God, the foundation of all goodness who alone can provide the gift of eternal life; compare with Matthew 19:16-17. 


D). Mark 10:23-27 - In the Old Testament riches and material goods are deemed as a sign of God's favor (Job 1:10;  Psalm 128:1-2;  Isaiah 3:10). The words of Jesus in Mark 10:23-25 arouses bewilderment among the disciples because of their apparent opposition of the Old Testament concept (Mark 10:24, 26). Since affluence, power, and merit engender false security, Jesus refuses them completely as a declaration on entry to the kingdom. Triumph of deliverance is beyond human capability and dependent wholly on the goodness of God who offers it as a gift (Mark 10:27).




Reference:  The New American Bible 

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Dear Humanity,

I personally encourage everyone to emulate JESUS' values on LOVE, FAITH, HOPE
and CHARITY, as the humanity has been a failure; which resulted to the more than two (2) years of pandemic and its after-effects on economy, not only here in the Philippines but worldwide.

And the saddest part of it, is that, it affected the POOREST of the POOR to even extremely be more poorer, in exchange of the affluent to be more richer.

Thank you and may GOD bless you and the whole family to have an enjoyed life's journey at home, Church, schools/universities, corporate commitments, public and places of interest.