First reading Wisdom 7:7-11
I esteemed Wisdom more than sceptres or thrones
I prayed, and understanding was given me;
I entreated, and the spirit of Wisdom came to me.
I esteemed her more than sceptres and thrones;
compared with her, I held riches as nothing.
I reckoned no priceless stone to be her peer,
for compared with her, all gold is a pinch of sand,
and beside her silver ranks as mud.
I loved her more than health or beauty,
preferred her to the light,
since her radiance never sleeps.
In her company all good things came to me,
at her hands riches not to be numbered.
Responsorial Psalm 89(90):12-17
Fill us with your love so that we may rejoice.
Make us know the shortness of our life
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Lord, relent! Is your anger for ever?
Show pity to your servants.
Fill us with your love so that we may rejoice.
In the morning, fill us with your love;
we shall exult and rejoice all our days.
Give us joy to balance our affliction
for the years when we knew misfortune.
Fill us with your love so that we may rejoice.
Show forth your work to your servants;
let your glory shine on their children.
Let the favour of the Lord be upon us:
give success to the work of our hands.
Fill us with your love so that we may rejoice.
Second reading Hebrews 4:12-13
The word of God cuts more finely than a double-edged sword
The word of God is something alive and active: it cuts like any double-edged sword but more finely: it can slip through the place where the soul is divided from the spirit, or joints from the marrow; it can judge the secret emotions and thoughts. No created thing can hide from him; everything is uncovered and open to the eyes of the one to whom we must give account of ourselves.
Gospel Mark 10:17-30
Give everything you own to the poor, and follow me
Jesus was setting out on a journey when a man ran up, knelt before him and put this question to him, ‘Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You must not kill; You must not commit adultery; You must not steal; You must not bring false witness; You must not defraud; Honour your father and mother.’ And he said to him, ‘Master, I have kept all these from my earliest days.’ Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him, and he said, ‘There is one thing you lack. Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.
Jesus looked round and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!’ The disciples were astounded by these words, but Jesus insisted, ‘My children,’ he said to them ‘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 a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ They were more astonished than ever. ‘In that case’ they said to one another ‘who can be saved?’ Jesus gazed at them. ‘For men’ he said ‘it is impossible, but not for God: because everything is possible for God.’
Peter took this up. ‘What about us?’ he asked him. ‘We have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘I tell you solemnly, there is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, father, children or land for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not be repaid a hundred times over, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and land – not without persecutions – now in this present time and, in the world to come, eternal life.’
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What must I do to inherit eternal life?
Today’s gospel challenges us to look deep within ourselves and reveal what is important for us. The man, who went up to Jesus, wanted to know what He had to do to get eternal life, to have the life that only God could give. Jesus first presented this man with the basic requirement, i.e. the Ten commandments, but he wanted more. Jesus then went another step beyond and told him to sell everything and give his money to the poor. This was the one thing that the man could not do, i.e. to let go of his attachment to his earthly treasure to gain a greater treasure.
What must you do to have fullness of life? We need to be aware that our material possessions and wealth can sometimes pull us back from living an authentic Christian life. He invites us to be free from possessing more to loving more. It is by helping the poor, giving our time to be with a lonely neighbour, sharing a story with a child, etc. that we enter into eternal life.
Question for reflection:
What is holding me back from a deeper relationship with God?
What is holding me back from a deeper relationship with God?
