"Go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." (Mt 19:21)
READING OF THE DAY
A reading from the Book of Ezekiel
EZ 24:15-23
The word of the LORD came to me:
Son of man, by a sudden blow
I am taking away from you the delight of your eyes,
but do not mourn or weep or shed any tears.
Groan in silence, make no lament for the dead,
bind on your turban, put your sandals on your feet,
do not cover your beard, and do not eat the customary bread.
That evening my wife died,
and the next morning I did as I had been commanded.
Then the people asked me, “Will you not tell us what all these things
that you are doing mean for us?”
I therefore spoke to the people that morning, saying to them:
Thus the word of the LORD came to me:
Say to the house of Israel:
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I will now desecrate my sanctuary, the stronghold of your pride,
the delight of your eyes, the desire of your soul.
The sons and daughters you left behind shall fall by the sword.
Ezekiel shall be a sign for you:
all that he did you shall do when it happens.
Thus you shall know that I am the LORD.
You shall do as I have done,
not covering your beards nor eating the customary bread.
Your turbans shall remain on your heads, your sandals on your feet.
You shall not mourn or weep,
but you shall rot away because of your sins and groan one to another.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to Matthew
MT 19:16-22
“Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?”
He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good?
There is only One who is good.
If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
He asked him, “Which ones?”
And Jesus replied, “You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
honor your father and your mother;
and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
The young man said to him,
“All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?”
Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go,
sell what you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow me.”
When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad,
for he had many possessions.
MONDAY OF THE TWENTIETH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - (MT 19:16-22)
THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
Dear People of God,
In today's Word of God, God invites His children: to practice the Word of God from within your hearts and it must be expressed outwardly, not just spoken on the lips. All those who come to God must believe and practice according to the Word of God the Father absolutely. It is not called absolute when one or more parts haven't been implemented according to what God the Father teaches. Therefore, all those who want to enjoy happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven with God the Father must follow according to what God the Father teaches. Because in the Kingdom of Heaven, where God reigns, is the place of absolute eternal happiness, there is absolute light, no darkness. Therefore, while still living on this earth, create every opportunity to purify your soul and body. Today's Word of God warns people that it is not enough if you only practice God's Word partially. Instead, you must practice God's Word completely, in response to God's invitation to the young man, if you want to enjoy happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven, you must do exactly what God the Father teaches. You must not do it according to your own will, thinking: “I do this enough, it is pleasing to God.” No! Only God the Father is absolute, and only He teaches people how to enjoy happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven. Everyone should humble themselves, self-abase themselves, and practice God's Word. According to human thinking, the young man practiced God the Father's words: not to commit adultery, not to steal, to honor his father and mother, and to love others as himself. But there is one thing that he cannot give up, which is worldly material goods.
What are worldly material goods? They are only material things that God the Father gave to serve human needs. Do not exalt them above all else, do not consider them the main purpose of your life. People who worship material things and seek to have material things as a way to worship them, are going astray and not following the correct purpose that God the Father calls them to, which is seeking the Kingdom of Heaven.
Today's Word of God calls everyone:
- Give up the material things of this world to follow God and live a perfect life every day of your life.
- Worship God alone who is above all things and love your fellow human beings. That is to have charity and forgiveness; to love, forgive, be self-abasement, and humble; is to put the work of God the Father above all else, and to worship God the Father with all your being and by showing love to your brothers and sisters.
- Do not be foolish like the young man: when God the Father invited him to sell all his possessions to follow God the Father, he rejected God the Father's words, not to follow Him and seek material wealth in this world. God does not want His children to fall into Satan's trap like that young man. Having material wealth in this world does not give people life in the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is only a material thing that passes away. Be wise in choosing to practice God's words, which bring happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Thanks be to God. Amen
Comments