MONDAY HOMILY OF 8TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR B
HOMILY THEME: GIVE EVERYTHING YOU OWN TO THE POOR, AND FOLLOW ME
BY: Fr Deotacious Chikontwe SMA
1 Peter 1:3-9, Psalm 111:1-2,5-6,9-10, Mark 10:17-27
INTRODUCTION
Good Morning my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate Monday of the 8th Week in the Ordinary Time, Liturgical Calendar Year B.
FROM OUR FIRST READING
Today we start reading from the first letter of Peter. And the passage we have heard today, reminds us that our faith is tested through various trials. These trials are not signs of God’s absence but are a way to refine our faith, making it strong and genuine. It’s comforting to know that through these challenges, we are guarded by God’s power, ready to be revealed at the end of time.
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FROM OUR GOSPEL READING
In the gospel reading today, a man of great wealth runs up to Jesus with a burning question, ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Here was someone who clearly wanted to take the path of life, God’s path that leads to eternal life. He subsequently declares to Jesus that he has kept God’s commandments since his earliest days. He has been serious about his faith life, since his early youth. He was a good man who wanted to be better. He seems to have made an impact on Jesus. The gospel reading declares that ‘Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him’. Jesus looks steadily at all of us and loves us as we struggle to take the path of life that God is calling us to take. It was out of his love for this man that Jesus now invites him to take another step on his faith journey, a more generous and demanding step. Jesus calls him to walk away from his great wealth and to follow him as a disciple on the road to Jerusalem. In response to Jesus’ call, we are told that ‘he went away sad’.
CONCLUSION
It is one of the saddest verses in the gospels. It is because the Lord loves us that he is always calling us to take that extra step in our relationship with him. Like the man in the gospel, we too can hesitate to take that extra, more generous, more demanding, step on our journey of faith. We may feel it is more than we are able for. Yet, if we take the step the Lord is calling us to take, God will be our help and our strength. In the power of God’s help and strength we will be able to do what we cannot do on our own. Jesus ends the conversation with hope. He declares that with God, all things are possible. This statement brings everything full circle. No matter how insurmountable our trials might seem—be they struggles of faith or challenges of wealth—there is always hope with God. He provides the possibility of overcoming these barriers, and in doing so, deepens our relationship with Him.
Have a Blessed Week Everyone
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