XXVIII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
SELL WHAT YOU HAVE, AND GIVE TO THE POOR AND FOLLOW ME
By our Pastor, Fr. Carmelo Jiménez
The readings for this Sunday are illuminating. The readings speak of joy, wealth, confidence and wisdom. It is with calm and quiet before the Word of God and the Tradition of the Church, where we can find the path that takes us to go in search for those living in darkness and without hope.
“Therefore I prayed, and prudence was given me; I pleaded and the spirit of Wisdom came to me” (Wis 7: 7). Many of you know that I recently traveled to Mexico, I drove back and forth. I was worried about violence at the border between USA and Mexico; I have heard many stories of misfortune. So, the first thing I did was ask for advice: What precautions should I take? What places are safe? What should I do if somebody stops me? I asked three different people and decided where their advice coincided was the safest for me.
Today, the readings invite us to pay attention to the divine instructions so that we can arrive safely at our destination: eternal salvation. So the Book of Wisdom says: “Yet all good things together came to me in her company, and countless riches at her hands” (Wis 7: 11). For everyone who hears the words that come from God, and follows his instructions, all kinds of blessings will be bestowed upon that person. I hope that all those blessings come upon us. The wisdom of which Scripture speaks is the harmonious combination of a free and generous gift of God and a thoughtful man who illuminates his daily experience by the light of the Word of God. This gift is received as the result of prayer. True wisdom is free; it is the gift of God. Her origin and her efficacy are far superior than all human values and riches.
“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?… Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” (Mk 10: 17. 21). The Gospel of Mark has gathered several fragments that evangelical tradition attributed to Jesus to form a single narrative, where we can find three parts: Jesus’ encounter with the rich man (17-22); the dialogue between Jesus and his disciples about the impediment posed by wealth to reach the Kingdom of God (23-27); and Peter’s question to Jesus about the reward for those who follow Him in poverty and Jesus’ answer (28-31).
Material goods are to be used responsibly and with a great sense of justice, temperance and solidarity. They should not be the source of man’s security because man has a greater dignity over all material goods. The disciples of Christ can’t ignore earthly commitments. But the balance between earthly commitments and a higher and transcendent hope is one of the major tasks of the Christian community within the world. At the end of life is a comfort and a reward: for God nothing is impossible. Only one who knows how to gain material goods and use them for good, is received into eternal life as a final reward. We can attain this final reward by working all together.
Pray for the wisdom that comes from God. May we live our lives in union and solidarity, reflection and love of others. Together as true brothers and sisters, we reach the Kingdom of God and enjoy the eternal life that never ends.