First Reading: Sirach 35:1-12
To keep the law is a great oblation,
and he who observes the
commandments sacrifices a peace offering.
In works of charity one offers fine flour,
and when he gives alms he presents his sacrifice of praise.
To refrain from evil pleases the Lord,
and to avoid injustice is an atonement.
Appear not before the Lord empty-handed,
for all that you offer is in fulfillment of the precepts.
The just one’s offering enriches the altar
and rises as a sweet odor before the Most High.
The just one’s sacrifice is most pleasing,
nor will it ever be forgotten.
In a generous spirit pay homage to the Lord,
be not sparing of freewill gifts.
With each contribution show a cheerful countenance,
and pay your tithes in a spirit of joy.
Give to the Most High as he has given to you,
generously, according to your means.
For the Lord is one who always repays,
and he will give back to you sevenfold.
But offer no bribes, these he does not accept!
Trust not in sacrifice of the fruits of extortion.
For he is a God of justice,
who knows no favorites.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 50:5-6, 7-8, 14 and 23
R./ To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Gather my faithful ones before me,
those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
And the heavens proclaim his justice;
for God himself is the judge.
R./ To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Hear, my people, and I will speak;
Israel, I will testify against you;
God, your God, am I.
Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
for your burnt offerings are before me always.
R./ To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Offer to God praise as your sacrifice
and fulfill your vows to the Most High.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
R./ To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
Gospel Reading: Mark 10:28-31
Peter began to say to Jesus,
“We have given up everything and followed you.”
Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.
But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
The apostles say that they had left everything. This «everything» can be viewed from two perspectives. The first is to think about what this «everything» consisted of. The world of fishermen in Galilee during Jesus’ time was extremely poor. Their life was more about surviving, struggling to find the minimum necessary to stay alive. The «everything» of those fishermen or peasants must have been very little. Perhaps Matthew, who was said to be a tax collector, might have been at a slightly higher economic level. Tax collectors collected taxes and earned a percentage of what they collected. But it is unlikely that Matthew was one of the big ones, taking the best share. After all, Galilee was poor, and the taxes collected there must have been poor too. So, his «everything» was also little, barely just enough.
But it is also true, and this is the other perspective, that even if we have little, what we have is a part of us, it is what makes us feel secure. Our house/hut/shack is ours. It has some kind of door. Poor but living in their village, with their people, counting on a certain solidarity, with family, friends, and acquaintances, all forming a safety net. That little that they had, which the group following Jesus had before following Him, was «everything» they had. It was theirs, what gave them a sense of belonging, being part of something, of a village, of a tradition.
So yes, we should value what Peter says to Jesus. They had left «everything» for the Kingdom. With their limitations, their miseries, their nostalgia. It’s true. But also with great courage to leave that «everything» to follow that man. They must have seen something in Him, in His message, in His behavior, that made them think it was worth leaving «everything,» no matter how little it was.
Question: Do we see something like that in Jesus? Are we capable of leaving our «everything» for the Kingdom?
Fernando Torres, cmfOpening Prayer
Lord our God,
we hold you to your promise
to those who have left everything
for the sake of your kingdom
and for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, your Son.
Let them be men and women
poor in the things that count on this earth,
but rich with your love and your grace
and with a wealth of friends
to whom they can bring
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
First Reading Introduction: To keep the law is a great oblation.
“Honor the Lord with generosity… Add a smiling face to all your gifts” says the first reading. The advice of Ben Sirach is for honest persons to thank God by offering sacrifices, but God will not accept sacrifices from dishonest people, for he accepts no bribes.
Gospel Introduction: You will receive a hundred times as much persecution in this present age, and eternal life in the age to come.
What about those who give up everything for the sake of the kingdom of heaven? They will not only “inherit heaven” but find happiness on earth in the freedom from worries about losing material goods and the inner freedom of belonging to all, in the joy of winning many brothers and sisters in the community. And curiously enough but realistically, Mark adds that they will retain their happiness and reward even in the contradictions and persecutions they encounter in their endeavors for the kingdom. One must remain free and poor within oneself.
Intentions
– For all Christians, that we may be generous in serving the Lord and our neighbor, we pray:
– For those who have dedicated their lives in the direct service of God, as priests, religious, ministers, that they may live fully in the loving hands of the Lord, we pray:
– For all Christians, that they may be joyful people, who do not lose their smile even when they meet difficulties, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
God, our Father,
with bread and wine we remember him
who gave himself totally for others,
your Son, Jesus Christ.
Everything was taken away from him
except the certainty that you were with him.
With him then, we offer ourselves,
that we may belong to you
and to the brothers and sisters
you have placed on our way.
Let no trial keep us from remaining free
and from living in communion with you,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
by the power of this Eucharist,
help us to see and to practice fully
what it means to be a disciple of Jesus:
that only when we forgive we find forgiveness,
that our thirst is quenched
when we give our neighbor to drink,
that we find consolation
when we speak words that alleviate pain,
that when we break and share bread
we will find your joy
that lasts for ever and ever.
Blessing
We are in the hands of God, a good God, a merciful God. We try to serve him well and entrust ourselves to him. May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
