Inheriting Eternal Life

Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

It-28 Ħadd matul is-Sena 

Messalin B p 487

Reading 1

Wisdom 7:7-11

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. This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Ewwel Qari

mill-Ktieb tal-Għerf  7, 7-11

Jien tlabt u qlajt għaqal; Sejjaħt, u ġie  fuqi l-ispirtu tal-għerf. Dan  l-għerf qistu aqwa minn kull xettru u tron, u ntbaħt li l-għana m'hu xejn ħdejh. Ma  xebbaħtx miegħu l-ħaġra l-aktar prezzjuża, għax id-deheb kollu ħdejh mhuwiex ħlief ftit ramel, u l-fidda quddiemu qisha ftit  tajn. Aktar  mis-saħħa u s-sbuħija ħabbejtu, u għoġobni aktar mid-dawl; għax id-dija tiegħu ma tgħib qatt. Mal-għerf ġieni il-ġid kollu, u miegħu ġiebli għana bla qjies. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm             

pSALM 90:12-13, 14-15, 16-17

R. (14) Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!

Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!                                                    R/

                                  
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
Make us glad, for the days when you afflicted us,
for the years when we saw evil.                                             R/

Let your work be seen by your servants
and your glory by their children;
and may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!                                              R/

Salm Responsorjali          

Salm 89 (90)

R/   Imliena bit-tjieba tiegħek, Mulej.

Għalliemna ngħoddu jiem ħajjitna,

sabiex aħna nimxu bil-għaqal.

Dur lejna, Mulej!  Kemm se ddum?

Ħenn għall-qaddejja tiegħek.                           R/

Imliena kmieni bit-tjieba tiegħek,

biex nifirħu u nithennew ħajjitna kollha.

Ferraħna daqskemm għakkistna,

għas-snin li fihom rajna l-ħsara.                     R/  

Ħa jidher għemilek quddiem il-qaddejja tiegħek,

u l-kobor tiegħek quddiem uliedhom.

Ħa tkun fuqna l-grazzja ta' Alla Sidna!

Wettqilna inti  x-xogħol ta' idejna,

Wettaq, iva,  xogħol idejna.                             R/

Reading 2                              

Hebrews 4:12-13

Brothers and sisters: Indeed 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. No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him  to whom we must render an account. This is the Word of the Lord.

It-Tieni Qari

mill-Ittra lill-Lhud 4, 12-13

Ħuti,  l-Kelma ta' Alla hi ħajja u qawwija, taqta' aktar minn xabla b'żewġt ixfar; hija tinfed sa  jinfirdu minn xulxin ir-ruħ u l-ispirtu, u l-ġogi u l-mudullun;  u tgħarbel il-ħsibijiet u l-fehmiet tal-qalb.Xejn ma hemm fil-ħolqien li hu moħbi għalih, imma kollox hu miftuħ  għal għajnejn Alla, li lilu rridu nagħtu kont. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

Gospel                                   

Mark 10:17-30

As Jesus 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?" Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 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."He replied and said to him, "Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth."  Jesus, 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." At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" The 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! 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." They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God." Peter began to say to him, "We have given up everything and followed you." Jesus 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 who 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."  This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Evanġelju

Qari skont San Mark 10, 17-30

F'dak iż-żmien, Ġesu' kien se jaqbad it-triq lejn Ġerusalem, meta mar fuqu wieħed jgħaġġel, niżel għarkupptejh quddiemu u qallu: "Mgħallem tajjeb, x'għandi nagħmel biex nikseb il-ħajja ta' dejjem? Qallu Ġesu':  " Għaliex qiegħed issejjaħli tajjeb'?   Ħadd m'hu tajjeb ħlief Alla biss. Inti l-kmandamenti tafhom:  la toqtolx, la tiżnix, la tisraqx, la tixhedx fil-falz, la tiħux bil-qerq dak li hu ta' ħaddieħor; weġġaħ lil missierek u 'l ommok".U dak wieġbu u qallu:   "Mgħallem, jiena dan kollu  ili nħarsu minn żgħożiti."  Imbagħad Ġesu' xeħet fuqu ħarsa ta' mħabba u qallu:  "Ħaġa waħda tonqsok: mur  bigħ li għandek, agħtih lill-fqar, u  jkollok teżor fis-sema; imbagħad ejja u imxi warajja."   Imma għal dan il-kliem ir-raġel qarras wiċċu u telaq b'qalbu sewda, għaliex kellu bosta ġid.Ġesu' mbagħad ħares ħarsa madwaru u qal lid-dixxipli tiegħu:  "Kemm hi iebsa għall-għonja li jidħlu fis-Saltna ta' Alla!" Id-dixxipli stagħġbu għal din il-kelma, imma Ġesu' reġa' qalilhom:  "Kemm hi iebsa, uliedi, li wieħed jidħol fis-Saltna ta' Alla!  Eħfef li ġemel igħaddi minn għajn ta' labra milli wieħed għani jidħol fis-Saltna ta' Alla."  Huma stagħġbu wisq aktar, u bdew igħidu wieħed lil ieħor:  "Mela min jista' jsalva?"   Ġesu' ħares lejhom u qalilhom:  "Għall-bnedmin dan ma jistax ikun, imma għal Alla iva;  għax għal Alla kollox jista' jkun." Qabeż Pietru u qallu: "Tajjeb! Aħna ħallejna kollox, u ġejna warajk." Qallu Ġesu':  "Tassew ngħidilkom, li fost dawk kollha li minħabba  fija u l-Evanġelju jħallu lil darhom jew lil ħuthom jew lil ommhom jew lil missierhom jew lil uliedhom jew l-egħlieqi tagħhom, ma hemm ħadd  fosthom li minn issa, f'din id-dinja stess, ma jirċevix, għal mitt darba iktar, djar,  aħwa, subien u bniet, ommijiet, ulied u għelieqi flimkien ma' persekuzzjonijiet, u l-ħajja ta' dejjem fiż-żmien li ġej." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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How to Inherit Eternal Life

A reflection by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

Mark's Gospel story of Jesus' encounter with the man seeking eternal life is essentially a vocation story (Mark 10:17-30). It is the only story in Mark in which the individual called responds not by following but by going away.

The story is narrated in all three Synoptic Gospel accounts. Matthew (19:16-22) tells us that the man was young; only Luke (18:18-23) tells us he was ruler. The three evangelists agree that the man was rich, and in Mark, this is the only description given. The rich man's concern is to "inherit eternal life."

Let us consider several aspects of Mark's account of the Gospel episode. First of all, Jesus repudiates the term "good" for himself and directs it to God, the source of all goodness, who alone can grant the gift of eternal life.

Is Jesus' directive to this man with many possessions a requirement for all who wish to inherit eternal life? Is it true that Jesus did not ask other disciples to sell their possessions (1 Tim 6:17-19)? Wasn't Peter able to keep his house and boat for a short period of time (Mark 1:29; John 21:3)? Didn't the women of Galilee continue to have access to their personal, material resources (Mark 15:41), just as Joseph of Arimathea did (15:43)?

It seems that in the case of this man with many possessions in Mark's story, Jesus issued a very personal invitation for very specific reasons. Why does this young man find the teaching of Jesus so difficult to accept? In the Old Testament, wealth and material goods are considered a sign of God's favor (Job 1:10; Psalm 128:1-2; Isaiah 3:10).

Religious Jews believed that wealth was a sign of God's blessing. Rich people were regarded as those God had blessed, and poor people were regarded as those God had cursed.

Power of possessions

The words of Jesus in Mark 10:23-25 provoke astonishment among the disciples because of their apparent contradiction with the Old Testament concept (Mark 10:24.26). Since wealth, power, and merit generate false security, Jesus rejects them utterly as a claim to enter the kingdom. The negative outcome of the man's choice to walk away strikes a note of realism.

It also attests the special power of possessions to hinder Christian discipleship. Jesus uses the rich man's departure as a teaching moment to instruct his disciples about the dangerous snare that earthly possessions, success, and prosperity can have. Total detachment from one's possessions is required of every authentic disciple. Jesus saw the danger of material possessions. They can fix our heart to the world and make us think of everything in terms of price rather than value.

Jesus was trying to completely overturn what the apostles and all other good Jews had been taught. But his teaching on wealth and richness was incomprehensible to the listeners. When Jesus said, "How hard it would be for rich people to enter the Kingdom of God," the Gospel says, "They, the disciples, were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, 'Then who can be saved?'" (v.26).

Any one of us would naturally ask the same question! Jesus reminded them that salvation is purely a gift from God. Grace is God's gift, and only those whose arms and hands are empty of self can stretch out to receive the gift of grace. The achievement of salvation is beyond human capability and depends solely on the goodness of God, who offers it as a gift (Mark 10:27).

A Christian contradiction

In many societies, wealth is a sign of God's approval, and poverty and hardship are the signs of God's disapproval. Every Christian is challenged by the teaching of Jesus and the values of the society which upholds the principle that worth really does come from material wealth: for example, from the number of cars we own, the size of our homes, the amount in our investment portfolios.

When capitalist systems are solely market-driven, heartless, and materialistic, they contradict the Gospel teachings of Jesus. The Gospel of Jesus challenges the "prosperity gospel mentality." Jesus is not speaking against material wealth but condemns being enslaved to and enchained by wealth. It becomes a blessing when it is shared with others, and it becomes an obstacle and a prison for those who do not have the wisdom to share it with others.

As Jesus looked at the rich young man, he looks at each one of us with love. He is reminding us to do "one thing more." We have to allow his loving gaze to penetrate us to the core, and unlike the young man we must open ourselves to transform our lives, upset our values, and rearrange our priorities.

When, considering his language too demanding, many of his disciples left him, Jesus asked the few who had remained: "Will you also go away?"

Peter answered him: "Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (John 6:67-68).

And they chose to remain with him. They stayed because the Master had "the words of eternal life," words that promised eternity and also gave full meaning to life here and now.

Wisdom and happiness

King Solomon, as seen in the first reading (Wisdom 7:7-11), realized that only true wisdom could bring happiness. He prayed for it and it alone, rather than power, riches, health, or good looks. God gave him everything.

For us, wisdom has become a person, and his name is Jesus. Wisdom was born in a manger and died on a cross and in between said that our only shot at ever being filled up is if we follow him in the life of self-emptying love.

Looking at Jesus, we see what it means to be poor in spirit, gentle, and merciful, to mourn, to care for what is right, to be pure in heart, to make peace, to be persecuted. This is why he has the right to say to each of us, "Come, follow me!"

He does not say simply, "Do what I say." He says, "Come, follow me!"

In the end, Jesus looks intently and lovingly at each one of us and reminds us that life is to be had in its fullness not by accumulating things, honours, privileges, reputations, and prestige but by letting go of things.

Initially, his invitation might surprise, upset, shock, and grieve us. With God's grace, may we realize that Jesus' word 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 (Hebrews 4:12-13). Hopefully, we will not go away sad.

Ordinary life

Following Sunday's Gospel, I encourage you to consider three important teachings of our Catholic tradition, from The Catechism of the Catholic Church and Benedict XVI's encyclical, Caritas in Veritate.

1) The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches (2404-2405) that our material goods are entrusted to us by God not for our own personal advantage but for the privilege of using them for the good of others. "The ownership of any property makes its holder a steward of Providence, with the task of making it fruitful and communicating its benefits to others, first of all his family. Goods of production - material or immaterial - such as land, factories, practical or artistic skills, oblige their possessors to employ them in ways that will benefit the greatest number. Those who hold goods for use and consumption should use them with moderation, reserving the better part for guests, for the sick and the poor."

2) "The second truth is that ... authentic human development concerns the whole of the person in every single dimension. Without the perspective of eternal life, human progress in this world is denied breathing space. Enclosed within history, it runs the risk of being reduced to the mere accumulation of wealth; humanity thus loses the courage to be at the service of higher goods, at the service of the great and disinterested initiatives called forth by universal charity.

"Man does not develop through his own powers, nor can development simply be handed to him. In the course of history, it was often maintained that the creation of institutions was sufficient to guarantee the fulfillment of humanity's right to development" (No. 11, Caritas in Veritate).

3) "While the poor of the world continue knocking on the doors of the rich, the world of affluence runs the risk of no longer hearing those knocks, on account of a conscience that can no longer distinguish what is human. God reveals man to himself; reason and faith work hand in hand to demonstrate to us what is good, provided we want to see it; the natural law, in which creative Reason shines forth, reveals our greatness, but also our wretchedness insofar as we fail to recognize the call to moral truth" (No. 75, Caritas in Veritate).

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