Reflection on Today's Readings, Tuesday of 8th Week in Ordinary Time, 25th May, 2021
Texts: Sir. 35:1-12; Ps. 50:5-8.14.23; Mark 10:28-31
Doing the will of God is the lot of all His children. Doing His will is the offering that God demands from us. His will for us is made manifest in His law and His commandments. Hence, in today's first reading, it is said, "He who keeps the law makes many offerings; he who heeds the commandments sacrifices a peace offering." Peace offering obtains for us good relationship with God. When we do the will of God, we make peace with Him and makes the relationship with Him better.
We are also reminded of the importance of almsgiving. It is said, "He who returns a kindness offers fine flour, and he who gives alms sacrifices a thank offering." With these words, we come to know something beautiful about almsgiving: Thanksgiving. We come to know that almsgiving is a way of saying thank you God; it pleases God and win us His favour.
The reading also appreciates righteousness, enmity with wickedness. Righteousness is to be in good standing with God and man. This comes back to the keeping of God’s commandments. The commandments of God brings about good relationship with Him and man. The Commandments call us to be obedient to God and to be good to our brothers and sisters. Hence, the reading says, "To keep from wickedness is pleasing to the Lord, and to forsake unrighteousness is atonement. Do not appear before the Lord empty-handed, for all these things are to be done because of the commandment." One point that must also be noted is that righteousness cancels the record of sins. This calls us to right living, that is, to be right with God and man.
Today's gospel reading emphasizes total devotion to God. We are to be ready to give up anything for God. Jesus promises us that we shall be rewarded for whatever we might have given for His sake. We shall be fully rewarded both here and the world to come. In the gospel, Jesus says, "Truly, I say to you; there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life." Serving God requires that we learn how to let go and to be sacrificing.
Lord our God, blessed be Your holy name; we beg You to keep us in Your love and make us firm in doing Your will. Amen.
Fr. Andrew Olowomuke
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