Word to the Wise
Tuesday, August 22, 2023 - Tuesday in the 20th Week in Ordinary Time
[Judg 6:11-24a and Matt 19:23-30]"Amen I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven." [Matthew]
AUGUST 22 THE QUEENSHIP OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
The young man has gone away sad because Jesus told him to sell all his possessions and come and follow him [Jesus]. Now Jesus tells the disciples that this advice is meant for everyone! The disciples are astonished, just as they were about the teaching on divorce! But this time, Jesus touches on personal security and material possessions. It is a question of the relationship of lifestyle to faith. Does lifestyle numb one to the situation of one's neighbor and to one's dependence on God? Much of our world lives in abject poverty. This is no guarantee that faithfulness will result, but we know that Jesus sees them as manifestations of his own person [Matt. 25:31-45}. How do our possessions help us to follow Jesus more faithfully? How much is enough? AMEN
[Note to the Beloved Congregation. On this date, 20 years ago, I sent the first WORD TO THE WISE to a few friends. Then close friends gave me a website and then Fr. Jude Siciliano invited me to share it on his Preacherexchange website. My gratitude to them is great!]