Tuesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

READINGS

GOSPEL Matthew 19: 23-30

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich

to enter the Kingdom of heaven.

Again I say to you,

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.”

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said,

“Who then can be saved?”

Jesus looked at them and said,

“For men this is impossible,

but for God all things are possible.”

Then Peter said to him in reply,

“We have given up everything and followed you.

What will there be for us?”

Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you

that you who have followed me, in the new age,

when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory,

will yourselves sit on twelve thrones,

judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters

or father or mother or children or lands

for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more,

and will inherit eternal life.

But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

REFLECTION

“Who then can be saved?”

Jesus looked at them and said,

“For men this is impossible,

but for God all things are possible.”

Can those who are wealthy enter the Kingdom of Heaven? Jesus' answer, "For men this is impossible, but for God all things are possible."

The apostles are puzzled. They are thinking in the same way as the Israelites of that era. Families with wealth were considered to be blessed by God. Why would they have difficulty in entering into the Kingdom of God?

This teaching is hard for them to grasp. It is hard to understand today. I have witnessed some people who have more than others but are generous to those in need. Do they have to give everything away? It seems that those who do give away everything for the sake of spreading Jesus' Name will receive a "hundred times more" in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Let us pray to be generous with what we have.

Let us pray to the Holy Spirit to give us the gift of generosity.

Here is the prayer to the Holy Spirit.

Let us pray for priests and religious who live by the vow of poverty and spread the Gospel as Jesus' recommends to persevere in their vocation.