28 February, 2022

28 February – Monday of Week 8 (Cycle 2)

1st Reading: 1 Peter 1:3-9

Peter praises the saving mercy of God, on the occasion of a baptism

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith (being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire) may be found to result in praise and glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Responsorial: Psalm 111

R./: The Lord will remember his covenant for ever

I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the Lord,
exquisite in all their delights. (R./)

He has given food to those who fear him;
he will forever be mindful of his covenant.
He has made known to his people the power of his works,
giving them the inheritance of the nations. (R./)

He has sent deliverance to his people;
he has ratified his covenant forever;
holy and awesome is his name.
His praise endures forever. (R./)

Gospel: Mark 10:17-27

Jesus invites the rich young man to give away his money and be a disciple

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: “You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honour your father and mother.’” He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

Gaining by Losing

The paradox of voluntarily losing something in order to gain something greater appears both in Peter’s epistle and in Mark. It is a hallmark of Markan (and of Petrine) theology, for Mark had served as Peter’s disciple and helper in Rome. This paradox has practical applications outside the religious sphere. The gambler stands to lose the wagered amount–but risks it just the same, in hope of the prize to be won, whether on the card-table, the racetrack or the stock-market. The farmer knows what must first be spent on seed and fertilizer, in order to harvest a crop. And doctors urge patients to lose some weight, for a healthier life.

This paradox imbues today’s austere message, about no pain, no gain. “It is easier for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God,” said Jesus. The rich young man was ready for the challenges of discipleship: the learning, the travelling, the companionship–but not for this stark call to renunciation. Another haunting statement of Jesus comes to mind: “Whoever loses his life will save it” (Mark 8:35).

While First Peter is among the most life-affirming documents in the early church, it also includes the self-renouncing principle. It has the form of a baptismal homily. Peter sees the glory of the Risen Jesus enlivening us, who are reborn by baptism into an imperishable inheritance. It was probably given in Rome at a time when joining the church carried the risk of martyrdom. This risking of their life and freedom being undertaken by the newly-baptised lends special quality to what Peter says about the grace of baptism. Through it we begin a new life, the glorious life of the children of God, a source of joy and strength now, a pledge of what is “to be revealed in the last days.”

The young man’s question

After we’ve asked a question, the answer may be hard to deal with. That happened to the rich man who asked Jesus, ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life?’ When asked to go beyond the conventional morality he had been observing and to sell all he owned and before following Jesus , he couldn’t accept that condition, and so walked away sad.

Jesus did not ask everyone to sell everything and to journey with him, but he did ask this of the promising young man. It was this man’s particular calling. Like him, we can find ourselves called to do something which seems beyond us. The temptation is to walk away from the call, even though to say ‘yes’ would be the better choice. We may at first feel unable for the call who knows? For ‘everything is possible for God.’ When Mary was called by God she hesitated, but then she heard, ‘Nothing will be impossible with God.’ It is the message to help us rise to the challenges of life.