Thoughts for Sunday October 11
My Dear People,
Today’s Gospel is the familiar story of the rich young man who asks Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” The answer is to sell what he has and give it to the poor.
For centuries some commentators read this as if only some people, those with a vocation to a religious order, are called to live this. They neglected to consider that all of us are called to discipleship and called to discipleship with the way we use our possessions.
Once again, I am indebted to Francis J. Moloney and his commentary on the Gospel of Mark for some of these insights. The young man asks the wrong question. He asks, “What can I do?” The answer is nothing. We can’t do anything to enter God’s Kingdom. We can only receive it as a gift. Part of receiving it as a gift, however, is receptivity to God’s grace and to God’s call to Discipleship. Jesus tells his disciples that for humans it is impossible but that all things are possible with God. With God’s grace all things are possible!
Let me ask you. Do you pray about money and financial concerns? If you do, and I imagine you do, what do you pray for? For more money? For financial security? How many of us pray to know God’s will for us in regard to money? How many of us pray about purchases and whether they are necessary according to God’s will for our lives? How many pray for the grace to be less fearful and more generous? How many pray for the grace to trust God?
When I reflect on my own giving, I realize that there was a time when my attitude was that, when my needs were met, I would begin giving more. Like many, I discovered that this was a backwards approach. The better approach, the only approach, is to trust and begin giving. Like many, I have found that, when I do that, things fall in place.
In the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous there are promises listed after the 9th step. That is, promises are made after we have surrendered our lives to God, made a searching inventory of our resentments and fears and moral failures, prayed to God to remove our defects of character and made amends to people we have harmed. One of the promises is that fear of economic insecurity will leave us. I remember asking an old timer if that meant we would be economically secure. He said, “No. It just means your life won’t be dominated by fear when it comes to finances.”
Can that be the called for response to today’s Gospel. Pray for the grace to trust. Pray to have our fear removed. Pray for the trust to share what we have and to give to the poor. What do you pray for when you pray about money and economic matters?
Love,
Fr. Larry
Today’s Gospel is the familiar story of the rich young man who asks Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” The answer is to sell what he has and give it to the poor.
For centuries some commentators read this as if only some people, those with a vocation to a religious order, are called to live this. They neglected to consider that all of us are called to discipleship and called to discipleship with the way we use our possessions.
Once again, I am indebted to Francis J. Moloney and his commentary on the Gospel of Mark for some of these insights. The young man asks the wrong question. He asks, “What can I do?” The answer is nothing. We can’t do anything to enter God’s Kingdom. We can only receive it as a gift. Part of receiving it as a gift, however, is receptivity to God’s grace and to God’s call to Discipleship. Jesus tells his disciples that for humans it is impossible but that all things are possible with God. With God’s grace all things are possible!
Let me ask you. Do you pray about money and financial concerns? If you do, and I imagine you do, what do you pray for? For more money? For financial security? How many of us pray to know God’s will for us in regard to money? How many of us pray about purchases and whether they are necessary according to God’s will for our lives? How many pray for the grace to be less fearful and more generous? How many pray for the grace to trust God?
When I reflect on my own giving, I realize that there was a time when my attitude was that, when my needs were met, I would begin giving more. Like many, I discovered that this was a backwards approach. The better approach, the only approach, is to trust and begin giving. Like many, I have found that, when I do that, things fall in place.
In the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous there are promises listed after the 9th step. That is, promises are made after we have surrendered our lives to God, made a searching inventory of our resentments and fears and moral failures, prayed to God to remove our defects of character and made amends to people we have harmed. One of the promises is that fear of economic insecurity will leave us. I remember asking an old timer if that meant we would be economically secure. He said, “No. It just means your life won’t be dominated by fear when it comes to finances.”
Can that be the called for response to today’s Gospel. Pray for the grace to trust. Pray to have our fear removed. Pray for the trust to share what we have and to give to the poor. What do you pray for when you pray about money and economic matters?
Love,
Fr. Larry
posted by Fr. Larry Voelker at
8:51 AM
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