MY daily reflection and prayer: Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
Dear my friends,
Here is the Gospel for us today according to Matthew 19:23-30
And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Then Peter said in reply, “Lo, we have left everything and followed you. What then shall we have?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of man shall sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. But many that are first will be last, and the last first.
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to Lord Jesus Christ.
***
Reading the Gospel today at a glance, it seems that Jesus Christ is against wealth and the rich. He seems to say that it is nearly impossible for the rich to live as citizens of God’s kingdom. Is he really against them?
Of course, Jesus is not opposed to wealth and the rich, nor is he opposed to the wealthy. In the Gospel we read that he has many friends who are well-to-do, even including some notorious tax collectors!
So what is the meaning of the Gospel for us today? First of all, Jesus invites us to be humble and dependent on God only. Until we humbly kneel before the Lord and acknowledge our total need and dependence on him, we will not find true peace, security, and happiness that can sustain us now and forever. Only God alone can satisfy our deepest need for he is our treasure.
Secondly, Jesus warns us that possessions can create false security. Wealth can make us falsely independent. It can also lead us into hurtful desires and selfishness (1 Timothy 6:9-10).
In the Perpetual Adoration of the Eucharist while worshipping Jesus Christ we learn to realize that we are all poor beggars of God. There we ask him to fill us with his grace so that our emptiness may be filled with God’s fullness. Then we are able to help our empty neighbor from our fullness.
Let’s pray: Lord Jesus Christ, you offer us an incomparable treasure which no money can buy and no thief can steal. May we set our heart on our highest treasure that is your love and your everlasting kingdom. May you always be our treasure. May nothing else keep us from giving you our all forever and ever. Amen.
Girli Kebon Dalem
(rmabudippr)
»̶·̵̭̌·̵̭̌✽̤̈̊•Ɓέяќǎђ•Đǎlєm•✽̤̥̈̊·̵̭̌·̵̭̌«̶
Sent from my heart of abudhenkpr
“abdi Dalem palawija”
Majalah INSPIRASI, Lentera yang Membebaskan
Komisi Hubungan Antaragama dan Kepercayaan Keuskupan Agung Semarang
Photo credit: Ilustrated (Ist)
