In today’s first reading, we hear how the Israelites did what displeases the Lord and serve their baals. In this day and age, do we not have family, friends who may have been brought up in the faith but are now doing things that displeases the Lord? And aren’t they, in fact, serving their baals, which could mean anything that takes them away from the Lord our God?
If we think the Israelites were a stubborn bunch, what about those who are living a life outside of the faith? Are they not stubborn? Are they not refusing to listen to His call of love for them to return?
In today’s Gospel, the Lord tells the young man that if you want to be perfect, sell all that you own and then follow after Him. For the riches of heaven is His to be had. We think that it’s unthinkable to sell all that we own just to follow after the Lord. But what the Lord is actually telling us is not to hold on to the attachments of the world, to let go of all that holds us back from making that radical metanoia or change from within, to be the best version of ourselves through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
So in essence, to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect. To be one with the Holy Trinity. Is for us to renounce ourselves, carry our cross and follow after Him.
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Amen.
________
First reading
Judges 2:11-19
The Lord appoints judges to rescue the men of Israel
The sons of Israel did what displeases the Lord, and served the Baals. They deserted the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods from the gods of the peoples round them. They bowed down to these; they provoked the Lord; they deserted the Lord to serve Baal and Astarte. Then the Lord’s anger flamed out against Israel. He handed them over to pillagers who plundered them; he delivered them to the enemies surrounding them, and they were not able to resist them. In every warlike venture, the hand of the Lord was there to foil them, as the Lord had warned, as the Lord had sworn to them. Thus he reduced them to dire distress.
Then the Lord appointed judges for them, and rescued the men of Israel from the hands of their plunderers. But they would not listen to their judges. They prostituted themselves to other gods, and bowed down before these. Very quickly they left the path their ancestors had trodden in obedience to the orders of the Lord; they did not follow their example. When the Lord appointed judges for them, the Lord was with the judge and rescued them from the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived, for the Lord felt pity for them as they groaned under the iron grip of their oppressors. But once the judge was dead, they relapsed and behaved even worse than their ancestors. They followed other gods; they served them and bowed before them, and would not give up the practices and stubborn ways of their ancestors at all.
________
Gospel
Matthew 19:16-22
If you wish to be perfect, go and sell what you own
There was a man who came to Jesus and asked, ‘Master, what good deed must I do to possess eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you ask me about what is good? There is one alone who is good. But if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.’ He said, ‘Which?’ ‘These:’ Jesus replied ‘You must not kill. You must not commit adultery. You must not bring false witness. Honour your father and mother, and: you must love your neighbour as yourself.’ The young man said to him, ‘I have kept all these. What more do I need to do?’ Jesus said, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go and sell what you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ But when the young man heard these words he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.
CatholicJules.net 