First reading Ezekiel 28:1-10
Against the arrogance of the king of Tyre
The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows, ‘Son of man, tell the ruler of Tyre, “The Lord says this:
Being swollen with pride,
you have said: I am a god;
I am sitting on the throne of God,
surrounded by the seas.
Though you are a man and not a god,
you consider yourself the equal of God.
You are wiser now than Danel;
there is no sage as wise as you.
By your wisdom and your intelligence
you have amassed great wealth;
you have piles of gold and silver
inside your treasure-houses.
Such is your skill in trading,
your wealth has continued to increase,
and with this your heart has grown more arrogant.
And so, the Lord says this:
Since you consider yourself the equal of God,
very well, I am going to bring foreigners against you,
the most barbarous of the nations.
They will draw sword against your fine wisdom,
they will defile your glory;
they will throw you down into the pit
and you will die a violent death
surrounded by the seas.
Are you still going to say: I am a god,
when your murderers confront you?
No, you are a man and not a god
in the clutches of your murderers!
You will die like the uncircumcised
at the hand of foreigners.
For I have spoken – it is the Lord who speaks.”’
Responsorial Psalm Deuteronomy 32:26-28,30,35-36
It is the Lord who deals death and life.
I should crush them to dust, said the Lord.
I should wipe out their memory among men,
did I not fear the boasting of the enemy.
But let not their foes be mistaken!
Let them not say: Our own power wins the victory,
the Lord plays no part in this.
What a nation of short sight it is;
in them there is no understanding.
How else could one man rout a thousand,
how could two put ten thousand to flight,
were it not that their Rock has sold them,
that the Lord has delivered them up?
For it is close, the day of their ruin;
their doom comes at speed.
For the Lord will see his people righted,
he will take pity on his servants.
Gospel Matthew 19:23-30
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I tell you solemnly, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Yes, I tell you again, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.’ When the disciples heard this they were astonished. ‘Who can be saved, then?’ they said. Jesus gazed at them. ‘For men’ he told them ‘this is impossible; for God everything is possible.’
Then Peter spoke. ‘What about us?’ he said to him ‘We have left everything and followed you. What are we to have, then?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I tell you solemnly, when all is made new and the Son of Man sits on his throne of glory, you will yourselves sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or land for the sake of my name will be repaid a hundred times over, and also inherit eternal life.
‘Many who are first will be last, and the last, first.’
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Prioritising God over wealth
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells His disciples that it is hard for a rich person to enter God’s kingdom. What does this mean for us today? Jesus is not saying that being rich is bad. There is nothing wrong with having money and possessions. The issue arises when money and things control us. The main point is about what rules our hearts. God should be our source of security and focus. Money should serve us and help others, not control us. Material things are tools for love, not masters that dictate our choices, time, and peace.
We should ask ourselves: Who am I really following today—Jesus or money? We can only let go of our attachment to money when we form a greater attachment to Jesus. Today, let us focus on building a personal relationship with Him. We can do this by praying with God’s Word, helping the poor, and seeking His guidance in our daily lives. As we grow closer to Him, we learn to trust His loving voice more than the false promises of wealth. Then, sharing more, living simply, and avoiding dishonest gain will feel like freedom, not loss, because our hearts will rest in Him, not in things.
Reflective question:
How can I make one small change in my life to have more freedom to love and follow Jesus?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
