The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
And the love of God
And the communion of The Holy Spirit
Be with you all
The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
And the love of God
And the communion of The Holy Spirit
Be with you all
In today’s gospel passage, an unnamed man approached Jesus and inquires about what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus replies that one must follow the commandments. The man acknowledges that he has observed all the laws since his childhood. Jesus then says that only one thing is lacking: he must sell his possessions and give money to the poor and follow Jesus. The man left in sadness, because he had many possessions.
Jesus asked two things from the rich man. First, he must give up his riches. Throughout history, some Christians have taken this literally. Their example witnesses to us a radical commitment to the gospel of Jesus. Others have sought to explain the meaning intended by the word possessions as those things that prevent one from following Jesus. Christians have generally understood that at the least, following Jesus requires that believers hold material possessions loosely and remain vigilant against seeking security in accumulating material possessions. The second requirement Jesus made to the rich man is the invitation to follow him. Jesus wanted the man to follow him, to be his disciple. We believe that the Christian faith is one in which each believer is in a personal relationship with Jesus. Just as this gospel tells us that Jesus loved the man and was sad when he departed, so too, Jesus loves us and is saddened when we are unable to follow him.
We see in this gospel another example of Mark’s pattern, which shows Jesus offering further explanation of his message and meaning to his disciples. To his disciples, Jesus laments the challenges faced by those who are rich in following him and entering the Kingdom of God. In reply to the disciples’ astonishment at the strictness of the standard that Jesus spoke about, Jesus reminds his disciples and us today that nothing is impossible with God. Salvation is determined by our ability to rely totally on God.
Peter replies to Jesus by boasting that the disciples have already given up everything. Jesus acknowledges that those who have given up everything for the sake of the gospel will be rewarded. This reward begins now, in the new community that one will gain in this life and will continue in the eternal age to come. Our personal relationship with Jesus is also an invitation to the community of faith, the Church.
God bless you all, Fr. Henry
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, President of the Bishops’ Conference and Archbishop of Westminster, has issued a pastoral letter on assisted suicide that will be read in the churches of his diocese on the weekend of 12-13 October.
The Catholic community of Nongstoin, in northeastern India, has seen increasing numbers of tribal believers from various ethnic backgrounds expressing interest in the Catholic faith.
The focus for this year’s World Mental Health Day, marked on Thursday 10 October, looks at the mental health challenges facing employees in the workplace.
