Reflections on Scripture | Monday of the 8th Week in Ordinary Time

Join Msgr. Don Fischer as he reads and delivers a short reflection on today’s gospel, followed by 3 1/2 minutes of contemplative music and a closing prayer. Msgr. Don hopes that today’s reflection on the gospel will empower you to carry the Word in your heart throughout the day.

Choose either the video or audio below.

Gospel
Mark 10:17-27

As Jesus 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?"
Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good?
No one is good but God alone.
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."
He replied and said to him,
"Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth."
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."
At that statement, his face fell,
and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,
"How hard it is for those who have wealth
to enter the Kingdom of God!"
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!
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."
They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves,
"Then who can be saved?"
Jesus looked at them and said,
"For men it is impossible, but not for God.
All things are possible for God."

Reflection
The story of the rich man is a clarification for the disciples to understand one simple truth, the love that God has for you, his redeeming act of giving you life eternal is a sign of his love. And to say to God that I have earned that by what I do, what I possess, what I become is really a rejection of the very essence of what love is.

God loves us not because we perform so well, he loves us because of who we are and who he is. That's what's essential. And the gift of salvation is never earned, it is always humbly accepted.

Closing Prayer
Father, it's very natural for us to try to earn your love. To please you by our work. But the shadow of that is that we often fear that you leave us when we fail. So we pray for the humility to receive salvation and to stop trying to earn it. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Kyle Cross