09-Oct-2006
Dear Friend,
Words can have lasting effects. Patrick Henrys Give me liberty, or give me
death galvanized the early American colonists against England. Winston
Churchills request for blood sweat and tears helped the British during the
difficult times of World War II. Sell all you have and follow me! could have
changed the life of the young man Jesus called to follow Him. Are His Words
challenging us today? Have a thought-provoking weekend! Fr. Jude
Sunday Reflections: Twenty-eighth Sunday of the Year Your money or your
life! 15-Oct-2006
Readings: Wisdom 7: 7-11; Hebrews 4: 12-13;
Mark 10: 17-30;
The Book of Wisdom from which todays first reading is taken, refers to
Solomons age-old prayer for wisdom. This Book of Wisdom was written about 100
years before Christ in Greek-dominated Alexandria in Egypt. The Jewish
community there was in danger of losing their identity because of the
temptation of following Greek philosophy and Greek morality rather than their
faith traditions. It was a time of losing their faith values to worldly values
and material wealth. Solomon, like people of his time was not especially
disposed towards wisdom, realizing that wisdom alone can bring happiness, he
prayed for wisdom rather than power, riches, health and good looks. As a result
Yahweh blessed him not only with wisdom but wealth and riches as well. We too
are challenged to make wise choices in life. Only divine wisdom can teach us
how to live wisely and successfully in life.
Wit or Wisdom?
One day a young boy went to his grand-dad and asked him to go fishing with
him. The grand-dad, who was a blacksmith, said, Just as soon as I finish
shoeing these couple of horses, Ill be with you. The kid began to wander
around the forge. The grand-dad warned him not to touch the horseshoes because
some of them were very hot. But when his back was turned the boy picked one up.
Finding it burning hot, he dropped it immediately, emitting a cry as he did so.
The grand-dad heard the boys cry. Did you hurt yourself? he asked. No, the
boy lied. Are you sure? asked grand-dad. Yes, replied the boy. But if
youre hurting, I can help you. insisted grand-dad. No, Im all right, lied
the boy. So you didnt burn your hand? No, came the quick response. Well
then, if you didnt, how come you dropped the shoe so quickly? It didnt take
long to look at it, came the reply.
Flor McCarthy in New Sunday and Holy day Liturgies
In the second reading from the letter to the Hebrews we are reminded that
Gods word is effective and is a source of true wisdom for us. Todays portion
of the letter gives us a description of Gods word, and the great mystery of
his communicating with us through human language. Gods word is living, is
alive and life-producing for all people of all times. When we take Gods word
seriously things begin to happen! His word penetrates and reveals. Have we
taken His word seriously?
In todays gospel a man with admirable qualities finds himself invited by
Jesus to rid himself of the riches that encumber him and follow Him. There is
one thing you lack. Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come and follow me! The challenge
is too much for the rich young man and he cannot rise to that challenge and
goes away, sad not to have the courage to follow Jesus whole-heartedly.
We have given nothing to God until we have given him everything. Love God
to the exclusion of all idols. That is the essence of the first tablet of the
law, and that is what you are still lacking. The total gift of self, is made
concrete in the explicit call: Come follow me! What is involved here is no
longer a question of morality or ascesis, but the attachment to Jesus who put
us on the road towards love of God alone. Teach us, Lord, to pass beyond the
morality that seeks perfection to the logic of faith: no longer to see
ourselves as the centre, but to choose life according to the gospel, in the
following of Jesus. And then there will no longer be the question of doing
more, of distinguishing between precept and counsel. To follow Jesus is
all or nothing, your money or your life. It is also the way whereby
discarding the illusion of getting to heaven, of working for salvation, we
leave the field clear for God for whom everything is possible. That is
what the good news is all about. Glenstal Bible Missal
The existential questions confronting us in todays gospel are: What must we
do to follow Jesus? What is the one more thing Jesus is asking of us? For most
of us the answer is obviously not to give away everything we have to the poor.
But it might be to continue our support for relief funds, mission work and the
Catholic Services Appeal. For most of us, the agenda will not include leaving
our home and family. But it might mean keeping up our efforts to provide homes
for refugees, employment for the jobless and protection for the defenseless. In
other words, the gospel is challenging us to re-examine our values. Have
material values replaced spiritual ones? Has the television set pushed away all
prayer time in our lives? Have we to let go of some of our work and outside
involvements in order to spend more time with our family? Do we have to
sacrifice some of the luxuries we surround ourselves with, in order to open our
hearts to the plight of the poor? Albert Cylwicki
Lacking Comittment James Lallam tells this amusing story in one of his
writings. Years ago a young door-to-door salesman was assigned a rural area.
One day he came upon a farmer seated in a rocking chair on his front porch. The
young man went up to the farmer enthusiastically and said. Sir, I have a book
here that will tell you how to farm ten times better than you are doing now.
The farmer didnt bother to look up. He simply kept on rocking. Finally, after
a few minutes, he glanced up at the young salesman and said, Young man, I
dont need your book. I already know how to farm ten times better than I am
doing now. The story is a good illustration of what Jesus was talking about
in todays gospel. The farmer was capable of farming better, but he lacked the
commitment to do so. The rich young man was also capable of doing more than
just keeping the commandments, but he too lacked the commitment to do so.
Mark Link in Sunday Homilies
Jesus challenged the young man to sell what he had and to come and follow him
but the young man went away. It was too big a risk for him to leave his
securities behind and follow Jesus. The challenge to accept risk puts the man
on the verge of becoming great. The young man was faced with the choices with
which all people, before and after Christ, are confronted. Challenge is what
all nature thrives on. The wild duck that joined the domestic ducks and was
fed, later couldnt fly above the barn; the gulls that fattened up at a shrimp
plant starved when it shut down; the hand-fed squirrels that laid up no nuts
for the winter bit the hand that fed them when they no longer held food. People
too need challenges. A character in the classic film, The Third Man, says
something to that effect, The Borgias presented challenges and produced
Michelangelo and the Renaissance. The Swiss had five hundred years of peace,
and what did they come up with? The cuckoo clock! We need
challenge! Harold Buetow
May I look at challenges as opportunities to let God take over my life!
Fr. Jude Botelho
www.netforlife.net
PS. The stories, incidents and anecdotes used in the reflections have been
collected over the years from books as well as from sources over the net and
from e-mails received. Every effort is made to acknowledge authors whenever
possible. These reflections are also available on my web site
www.netforlife.net Thank you.
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