Reflection on Today's Readings, Monday of 20th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1, August 16th, 2021
Texts: Judges 2:11-19; Ps. 106:34-40.43ab.44; Mtt.19:16-22
The man, in today's gospel reading, displayed scruple; he was a scrupulous person. His scruple was the one making him to keep all the commandments and unsettled about what to do to have eternal life. If he had not being scrupulous, he would have been satisfied with the keeping of the commandments. He desired more because he was scrupulous. He desired eternal life and want to leave no stone unturned in his pursuit of it. A scrupulous person is enthusiastic and ready to do that which we make him sure of his state, status or position. For such a person to be sad and unwilling to do that which we make him sure of himself shows how much grip it has on him. For the man to be sad and unwilling to give up his wealth shows that the desire for wealth had strongly gotten hold of him. The wealth had become his god.
Today we are to look deep into our lives to see whether there is such things in our lives that have strongly gotten hold of us. What is that I cannot give up to possesss eternal life? Are there things that we have turned to gods in our lives? They are hindrances, preventing us from realising our desire and fulfilling our dreams. In the case of the man in the gospel reading, wealth has become an obstacle in realising his desire. Sometime what one has or holds on to may prevent one from fulfilling his dream. Let us watch out for those things and start disengaging ourselves from them. Sometimes, we just have to make sacrifice, giving up one thing for the other. The man needed to give up his wealth to be perfect. It is said, "Jesus said to him, 'If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.'
The gospel reading also reveals that what we give to the poor or in charity are not lost but kept in heaven. It shows that the way of keeping our treasure in heaven is by giving them to the needy. That is an irony of life: we give to keep; we give up to possess; we sacrifice to accumulate.
The gospel reading reveals that detachment is necessary for perfection. Whoever wants to be perfect must learn to make sacrifice, giving up something; detachment is the path to perfection. The people of God, in today's first, refused to give up the worship of other gods.
Lord our God, help us to be sure of ourselves and give us grace to be detached, that we may be free for You. Amen.
Fr. Andrew Olowomuke
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