What prevents many from entering into the deep personal relationship they seek with God? One is Worldly attachments and the other sin.
One could easily assume that the filth of our heinous sins that separates us from God our Father, is number one in preventing that relationship we hope to have. And yet that cannot be further than the truth. For no matter what we had done in the past or present can separate us from the love of God. And so all it takes is our turning back to Him. Through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ we are redeemed, we are restored. We can live our calling; Holy Children of God our Father.
For being obedient and faithful to God’s commandments is not enough if we have worldly attachments. For we cannot serve two masters! We cannot fully embrace all that He wants us to have or to be for ourselves and for others. He knows the plans He has for us, not to harm us but to prosper us. Why then are we afraid to surrender to our creator? A sweet surrender to His love!
Lord I am Yours. Do with me according to Your Will. Amen
First reading
Ecclesiasticus 17:20-28
To those who repent, God permits return,
and he encourages those who were losing hope.
Return to the Lord and leave sin behind,
plead before his face and lessen your offence.
Come back to the Most High and turn away from iniquity,
and hold in abhorrence all that is foul.
Who will praise the Most High in Sheol,
if the living do not do so by giving glory to him?
To the dead, as to those who do not exist, praise is unknown,
only those with life and health can praise the Lord.
How great is the mercy of the Lord,
his pardon on all those who turn towards him!
Gospel
Mark 10:17-27
Jesus was setting out on a journey when a man ran up, knelt before him and put this question to him, ‘Good master, 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 must not kill; You must not commit adultery; You must not steal; You must not bring false witness; You must not defraud; Honour your father and mother.’ And he said to him, ‘Master, I have kept all these from my earliest days.’ Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him, and he said, ‘There is one thing you lack. Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.
Jesus looked round and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!’ The disciples were astounded by these words, but Jesus insisted, ‘My children,’ he said to them ‘how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ They were more astonished than ever. ‘In that case’ they said to one another ‘who can be saved?’ Jesus gazed at them. ‘For men’ he said ‘it is impossible, but not for God: because everything is possible for God.’
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