Oct 11 will be 28th Sunday: Wis 7:7-11. Heb 4:12-13. Mk 10:17-30. The Gospel this weekend is this: Mk 10:17-31. As he 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?" 18 Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19 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.'" 20 He replied and said to him, "Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth." 21 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." 22 At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. 23 * Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" 24 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! 25 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." 26 They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, "Then who can be saved?" 27 Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God." 28 Peter began to say to him, "We have given up everything and followed you." 29 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 30 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. 31 But many that are first will be last, and (the) last will be first." The first reading is this: Wis 7:7-11. Therefore I prayed, and prudence was given me; I pleaded and the spirit of Wisdom came to me. 8 I preferred her to scepter and throne, And deemed riches nothing in comparison with her, 9 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. 10 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. 11 Yet all good things together came to me in her company, and countless riches at her hands; The second reading is this: Heb 4:12-13. 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. 13 No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account. MEDITATION: This Sunday is about the danger of worldly riches that don't last for more than a few years and won't make us happy. The 'rich young man' is upset by the challenge of Jesus, but I like the way that this Gospel of Mark adds in: 'Jesus looked at him and loved him'. Money won't make us happy and that may seem to be an irrelevant detail, but it sums up what the whole incarnation is trying to tell us: God loves us all and God's love can win a great victory for us! Following Jesus is challenging, but well worth it. His 'look of love' is stronger than death itself. We have faith, and hope, and we'll put effort into loving, precisely because Jesus has 'looked at us' with such love in order to convince us - with a love that will even go through the Cross. It's convincing to me. I think that that is the prudence to which the first reading refers (Wis 7). We appreciate our houses, cars, food (and air to breathe), but we've got to be careful to avoid exaggerations. I think that the really rich, aren't those who have a lot of possessions, but those who are free, and who enjoy what they have. Mundane ambitions can sully that. Jesus uses the image of a camel trying to pass through the eye of a needle (that's actually the name of a famous small archway entering Jerusalem). The Jews gave a lot of importance to fulfilling rules and regulations, and the young man today begins by telling Jesus that he had obeyed them, but Jesus proposes something much deeper. A living faith isn't a question of 'signing on the dotted line', but of loving the fantastic creator of heaven and earth - our Father and brother and companion. He proposes that we go into our 'private room' and think deeply about his Words and about their application to our lives (Mt 6:4). I haven't broken any major rules as a missionary, but I've got to let Jesus cure my pride and turn me into a generous giver. As Jesus adds today: "For human beings it's impossible, but nothing is impossible for God.". That needs a heart touched by Love, and that's why I need to pay good attention to God's Word - to listen and then meditate (to pray) and then obey. The Gospel today begins saying that Jesus was 'setting out on a journey', and He's still setting out now, day after day. He's journeying towards you and I. As he arrives at the door of our hearts and minds, do we invite him in? As the second reading says (Heb 4), the Word is alive and active, so He may well shed light on our faults, but that's only so that we get to know our own selves, and say sorry to God, and what happens is this: we get redeemed! I don't think that Jesus wants man to 'suffer' poverty but to enjoy a real wealth. That's the wealth of being free of mundane riches... and free enough to share them generously with others. This isn't a question of getting rid of all riches, but of changing worldly riches for better ones! The riches of the earth are God's gift. My little computer certainly is. The problem is when people cling to them and make them their 'god'. That's one thing that the Bible calls 'idolatry' - the worship of idols. The really wealthy person is the one who enjoys life, and that often means freeing oneself of the mad search for worldly wealth. A common phrase in Ireland during my youth, to describe someone being content, was to say that they're 'as happy as Larry'. That comes from a folk-tale about a man who missed seeing content people. He decided that he'd give a prize to the first one that he found content with life. He passed many people who were well-off and wealthy, but they were all preoccupied. Then a poor simpleton called Larry passed by, and when asked the question, he said that he was happy to be alive. That won the prize. Happy as Larry! Some say Jesus wasn't so poor - only wealthy Jews had a personal donkey on which to travel around and Jesus arrived in Jerusalem that way before the passion. Remember though, that it was a borrowed donkey! As a small example, I remember in my childhood when my parents got a new carpet for the front hall at home. It was pretty, but mum told us that from then on when we got home we were to go around to the back door! That wasn't pretty! I mention that just as an example of how we can complicate life by our 'riches' - so much that we can end up 'poor'. I think the really rich man or woman is the one who's free of riches! The nuns asked St Teresa of Avila: "Tell us what we lack to be saintly". She replied "It's more a question of things of which we have too much"! The father of St Francis of Assisi was a wealthy cloth merchant and Francis had the inheritance in line. However he realized that there's a much more valuable inheritance in being voluntarily free of worldly wealth. This isn't about throwing things away, but about not being enslaved by them and about putting them to good use. It’s for loving people. We don't want to be 'owners' but 'administrators'. Of course, trust in economic survival often needs a strong faith. As a little example, the seminary in which I trained was beside the main road from Madrid to Valencia, and several times fruit and vegetables fell from lories on a curb, so the police used to ring us to ask us to clear the food off the road! We did so gratefully! Once, we had to acquire a tabernacle for our chapel and a nearby carpenter said he'd gladly make one for us. Then he asked if we had any wood - then if we had any nails! Jesus was born in a poor stable and lived in the poor house of a carpenter so we were delighted to comply! The world really needs faithful testimony from our Church. In the 1990's in the north of Africa - in 'The Marfill Coast' - the government decided to build a cathedral replica of St Peter's in Rome. But the population is poor and many live in shacks. I must say I admire much more the chapel I saw in the 'bush' of Zambia which was in a simple wooden shack! It's important to understand that Christ's call to 'poverty' isn't a call to neglect and not appreciate God's gifts, but to use them well and to be free of selfish wealth. A saint may embrace poverty but national poverty won't breed a race of saints! We all use God's gifts starting with flesh and blood and the air we breathe. In that sense we're 'rich'. The call of Christ isn't to abandon them but to be grateful for them and from there use them not as the 'owners' but as the administrators. They're given to us as part of the project. What project? To enrich the whole human family. People are often reluctant to follow Christ because they fear giving up 'wealth'. But really it's not a question of 'giving up riches' but of 'changing' them for a truly 'rich' one! It's one that sets us free... and free to share them generously with others. There was a time when consecrated religious were known as 'people of the cloth' because they wore sackcloth as the simplest and cheapest way of clothing! That makes me think of the clerical outfitters of today - sometimes they seem more like up-market saloons! I admire how in traditional Hindu cultures, where climate allows it, they don't use any major furniture (chairs or tables) or even shoes on their feet! If climate allows it, I think it's a great sign of freedom. We may find the call to be 'poor' as strange, but this world certainly uses it's wealth in strange ways. In 1987, Charlie Chaplin's trademark cane and bowler hat were sold at Christie's in London for £82,500! That would have been equivalent to the cost of a very fancy house in the city of Dublin. If this call to free yourself of riches seems challenging to you, then think of what Jesus says: 'The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a fine pearl, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.' (Mt 13:45-46). Waking up to the Love of God is like finding a nice pearl. Following Christ is like attaining the field. Are we willing to put effort into that? Without following properly, we can't get the 'pearl'. Without following Christ properly, we won't reach the joy which God longs to give us! The economic organization of our world is very useful for mankind, and in that sense, it's a gift, but it has its dangers. St Paul writes this: 'Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains.' (1 Tim 6:9-10). This Sunday is about the choice between worldly riches and riches that last. To quote a good paradox of St Paul: 'Being rich, Christ became poor, to enrich us by his poverty' (2 Cor 8:9). And the Trinity won't impose. They offer. And they call with love - even if Christ has to go through a horrific crucifixion in order to call our attention. Thanks a million, Lord! .......Dara. En ESPAÑOL: Oct 11 será 28º Domingo: Sab 7:7-11, Heb 4:12-5:1, Mc 10:17-30. Este domingo habla del peligro de las riquezas mundanas que no duran. No le gusta al joven rico cuando Jesús lo critica, pero me gusta como el evangelio de Marcos añade: ‘Jesús le miró con amor’. Puede parecer un detalle sin mucha importancia, pero es un resumen de todo lo que nos está comunicando la encarnación: Dios nos ama a todos... ¡y su amor podrá ganar una victoria tremenda! Seguir a Jesús es desafiante, pero bien vale la pena. Su ‘mirada de amor’ es más fuerte que la muerte misma. Tenemos fe, y esperanza, y nos esforzaremos por amar, precisamente porque Jesús nos ha mirado con tanto amor para convencernos – con un amor dispuesto a cargar la Cruz. A mí me convence. Creo que esta es la sabiduría a la que se refiere la primera lectura (Sab 7). Nos gustan las casas, los coches, la comida (y el aire para respirar), pero conviene evitar exageraciones. Puede ser que el auténtico rico no sea el que posee mucho, sino el que está libre y se disfruta de lo que tiene. Las ambiciones mundanas pueden estropear esto. Jesús usa la imagen de un camello intentando pasar por el ojo de una aguja. ‘Puerta de la aguja’ era el nombre de una pequeña entrada en las murallas de Jerusalén. Los judíos daban mucha importancia al cumplimiento de reglas y mandamientos, y el joven rico hoy se presenta como fiel cumplidor, pero Jesús propone algo mucho más profundo. Tener una fe viva no es cuestión de ‘cumplir reglas’, sino de amar bien al Creador fantástico de Cielo y tierra – nuestro Padre, y hermano, y compañero. Él propone que entremos en nuestro cuarto privado, y que pensemos profundamente en su Palabra y en su aplicación a nuestras vidas (Mt 6:4). No he desobedecido ninguna regla fundamental de la vida misionera, pero necesito que Jesús cure mi orgullo y haga de mí un misionero donante generoso. Como añade Jesús hoy: “Para los seres humanos es imposible, pero nada es imposible para Dios”. Esto necesita un corazón tocado por el Amor – por su Palabra escuchada y meditada – por la oración. Empieza el Evangelio hoy diciendo que Jesús estaba ‘empezando un viaje’, y sigue viajando hoy, día tras día. Nos viene a nosotros. Al llegar a la entrada de nuestros corazones y nuestras mentes, ¿le invitamos a entrar? Es lo que dice la segunda lectura (Heb 4): La Palabra es viva y eficaz, entonces puede ser que ilumine nuestras equivocaciones, pero es para que nos conozcamos a nosotros mismos, pidamos perdón y ¡seamos redimidos! Jesús no nos pide ‘sufrir’ la pobreza, sino disfrutar de una auténtica riqueza. Es la riqueza de estar libres de las riquezas mundanas… y libres para compartirlas generosamente. No se trata de tirarlas todas, sino de cambiarlas por una riqueza mayor. Los bienes son dones de Dios. ¡Creo que así es mi ordenador portátil! El problema es cuando la humanidad los agarra y les hace su ‘dios’. Es lo que llama la Biblia ‘idolatría’ – el culto a los ídolos. El auténtico rico es el que aprovecha bien la vida, y para esto es necesario liberarse de la búsqueda loca del bienestar mundana. Una frase común durante mi juventud en Irlanda para describir la felicidad era ‘ser tan feliz como Larry’ (happy as Larry). Viene de la historia de un hombre que echaba mucho de menos ver gente contenta. Decidió que iba a dar un regalo grande al primero que encontrara contento con la vida. Encontró a muchos ricos y poderosos, pero todos tenían alguna inquietud o ambición que les inquietaba. Después pasó un pobre sencillo feliz, y al preguntarle porqué, dijo que era feliz por estar vivo. Él ganó el premio. ¡Happy as Larry! Algunos piensan que Jesús no era pobre – solamente los judíos ricos podían permitirse tener un asno y Jesús entró en Jerusalén sobre uno. Pero ¡no te olvides de que era un asno prestado! Como pequeño ejemplo, recuerdo cuando mis padres compraron una moqueta nueva para el vestíbulo de nuestra casa. Era bonita pero dijo mi madre que desde entonces al volver a casa, deberíamos entrar por la puerta atrás. ¡Aquello no era bonito! Lo menciono como ejemplo de como nos complicamos la vida con ‘riquezas’ – tanto que acabamos ‘pobres’. Creo que el rico es el que está libre de riquezas. Las monjas preguntaron a Santa Teresa de Ávila: “¿Qué nos falta para la santidad?”. Ella respondió “Lo importante es saber ¿qué nos sobra?”! El padre de San Francisco de Asís era un rico comerciante de telas, y a Francisco le tocaba una gran herencia, pero reconoció que una herencia mucho más grande vendría al liberarse voluntariamente de las riquezas mundanas. Esto no quiere decir que haya que deshacerse de las cosas que tenemos, sino que hay que darles un buen uso – que nos ayuden a amar. No queremos ser ‘dueños’ sino ‘administradores’. A veces la supervivencia económica requiere mucha fe. Como pequeño ejemplo, el seminario de mi formación estaba cerca de la carretera Madrid-Valencia, y a veces caían frutas y vegetales de los camiones, entonces la policía nos llamaba para pedirnos que nos las llevásemos. ¡Lo hacíamos con gusto! Una vez necesitábamos un sagrario para una capilla, y un hombre de la zona que sabía carpintería dijo que nos lo haría. Después preguntó si teníamos madera. ¡Después si teníamos clavos! Jesús nació en un pesebre y vivió en casa de un pobre carpintero, ¡entonces nos encantó el asunto! El mundo realmente necesita ver testimonio fiel de nuestra Iglesia. En los años 1990, en el norte África – en la Costa de Marfil – el gobierno decidió construir una replica de la basílica de San Pedro en Roma. Pero la población es pobre y muchos viven en chabolas. ¡Admiro mucho más la iglesia pequeñita que vi en un bosque de Zambia! Es importante apreciar y usar bien los dones de Dios, y la llamada de Cristo a la pobreza es una llamada a evitar las riquezas egoístas. Un santo puede abrazar a la pobreza, ¡pero la pobreza nacional no va a engendrar una nación de santos! Usamos todos los dones de Dios, empezando con la carne y la sangre y el aire que respiramos. En aquel sentido, somos muy ricos. Cristo no nos llama a abandonarlos sino a usarlos bien como administradores. No como dueños. Los tenemos para enriquecer a toda la familia humana. Muchos no quieren seguir a Cristo porque dejar ‘una buena vida’ les da miedo. Pero no se trata de perderla sino de cambiarla por una aún mejor. Es una que nos libera… y nos hace libres para compartir generosamente. A un consagrado antiguamente se le llamaba ‘el hombre del saco’ ¡porque usaban un saco por vestido! ¡A veces las tiendas de hoy para clérigos parecen salones muy lujosos! Admiro como los hindús tradicionales, cuando el clima lo permite, no usan muebles ni zapatos. Puede parecer extraña la llamada a la pobreza, pero está claro que este mundo usa sus bienes de formas extrañas. Se pagan millones por algún recuerdo de una estrella de cine o de ‘pop’. Si te parece extraño la llamada a la pobreza, piensa en lo que dice Jesús: “El reino de los cielos es como un como un negociante buscando perlas finas. Cuando descubre una perla de mucho valor, vende todo lo que tiene para comprarla.” (Mt 13:45-46). Darse cuenta del Amor de Dios es como encontrar una perla. Seguir a Cristo es como conseguir el campo con un tesoro enterrado. ¿Estamos dispuestos a hacer el esfuerzo? Sin seguirle bien a Cristo, no alcanzaremos el gozo que Dios anhela darnos. La organización económica de nuestro mundo es muy útil, y es un don de Dios, pero tiene sus peligros. Dice San Pablo que puede ser una trampa y muchos se han dañado en ella (1ºTim 6:9-10). Este domingo habla de la elección entre riquezas mundanas y riquezas que duran. Nos recuerda San Pablo: ‘Siendo rico, Cristo se hizo pobre para enriquecernos con su pobreza’ (2ºCor 8:9). Y Dios no impone. Dios llama. Pasa por una crucifixión horrible para llamarnos la atención. ¡Millones de gracias por tanta riqueza, Señor! .......Dara.
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