Many of us want to be Kings and Queens of our own lives. Nothing bad about it really afterall we want to be in control of it. We want to be free to steer our way through, even in unchartered waters. But as it happens and more often than not; we lose control by giving in to our pride, greed, lust, our need for power and honour. Then we want to control the lives of others too! With all the baggage we carry how are we going through the narrow gate to Heaven?
We need to lay them all down and leave everything behind. For to go through the narrow gate we will only be admitted individually one at a time and only in God’s time. We are only able to do so through the mercy, grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the key to heaven! Therefore it has been said that nothing is impossible for God. Laying our lives down for one another through personal sacrifice and struggles are how we quickly lay down our own baggage and strip off from ourselves all that holds us back.
Lord Jesus let me be priest, prophet and king after Your own heart. As I carry my cross and follow You. Amen
First reading
Ezekiel 28:1-10 ·Against the arrogance of the king of TyreThe word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows, ‘Son of man, tell the ruler of Tyre, “The Lord says this:Being swollen with pride, you have said: I am a god;
I am sitting on the throne of God, surrounded by the seas.Though you are a man and not a god, you consider yourself the equal of God.You are wiser now than Danel;there is no sage as wise as you.By your wisdom and your intelligence you have amassed great wealth; you have piles of gold and silver inside your treasure-houses.Such is your skill in trading, your wealth has continued to increase, and with this your heart has grown more arrogant.And so, the Lord says this: Since you consider yourself the equal of God, very well, I am going to bring foreigners against you, the most barbarous of the nations.They will draw sword against your fine wisdom, they will defile your glory; they will throw you down into the pit and you will die a violent death surrounded by the seas.Are you still going to say: I am a god, when your murderers confront you?No, you are a man and not a god in the clutches of your murderers! You will die like the uncircumcised at the hand of foreigners.For I have spoken – it is the Lord who speaks.”’
Gospel
Matthew 19:23-30It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heavenJesus said to his disciples, ‘I tell you solemnly, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Yes, I tell you again, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.’ When the disciples heard this they were astonished. ‘Who can be saved, then?’ they said. Jesus gazed at them. ‘For men’ he told them ‘this is impossible; for God everything is possible.’Then Peter spoke. ‘What about us?’ he said to him ‘We have left everything and followed you. What are we to have, then?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I tell you solemnly, when all is made new and the Son of Man sits on his throne of glory, you will yourselves sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or land for the sake of my name will be repaid a hundred times over, and also inherit eternal life.‘Many who are first will be last, and the last, first.’
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