Sunday, October 11, 2009

28th Sunday's Meditation


First Reading: Wisdom 7: 7-11True wisdom is to be prized above everything.
Second Reading: Hebrews 4: 12-13. Everything in us is known to the Lord.
Gospel: Mark 10: 17-30. Our following of Jesus calls for a total self-giving.

Points for Reflection from Fr. Carlo Tei
1. True wisdom, of which today’s First Reading speaks, is to follow Jesus Christ. But to follow Jesus Christ requires a radical re-thinking of our lives. It is not enough to observe the Commandments. We have to choose Jesus Christ as our only model, and live his type of life, by being completely concerned and caring about our brothers and sisters in need.
 
2. On our way toward this goal we may find many obstacles and temptations. One of these is wealth. “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” warns Jesus in today’s Gospel. Material goods are God’s gift to mankind. But, precisely because of this, they become evil things in the hands of those who use them only to build up their own material treasure, and not to help their brothers and sisters in need as well.
 
3. Jesus makes it clear that, in order to be able to enter the Kingdom (which is the same as to “inherit eternal life”) rich people must imitate his life of love for others and share their riches with the needy and the poor. This is what the Bible calls “heavenly wisdom”. Rich people, however, acquire heavenly wisdom and evangelical poverty not by simply possessing nothing material, but by actively involving themselves with the poor, especially with those among them who have no means of organizing, defending or liberating themselves.

4. No matter whether we are rich or poor, we are called to imitate Jesus in his self-giving love for us. We are called to use God’s gifts to us, not only for ourselves, but also to help the needy, and thus contribute to the creation of a better world: that is, a world based on brotherly love, self-giving and justice; a world where material goods are seen as God the Father’s gift to mankind, a gift to be equally shared by all his children.

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