First Reading – Wisdom 7:7-11;
Second Reading – Hebrews 4:12-13;
Gospel – Mark 10:17-30
Ala’ Ad-Din is the Arabic title of one of the best-known stories in The Thousand and One Nights. The chief protagonist of the tale, Ala’ Ad-Din, or Aladdin, chances upon an African magician who claims to be his uncle. At the magician’s request, Aladdin retrieves a lamp from a cave and discovers that he can summon up powerful jinn or genies to do his bidding. “Your wish is my command,” Aladdin is told, and he satisfies his desires for wealth, power and long life. Aladdin’s adventures and good fortune have left many young readers dreaming of sharing similar experiences. Imagine that you are Aladdin, and that magic lamps and genies do exist. . . what would you ask for? — Solomon found himself in just such a situation in today’s first reading. When Solomon asked for wisdom, i.e. ,for “an understanding heart to judge the people and to distinguish right from wrong,” he was praised by God. He had not asked for long life or riches or for the life of his enemies; because of this he was given the gift of wisdom.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus advises a rich young man to share his riches with the needy to gain eternal life and never-ending happiness.
We must give priority to God in our lives, not to our possessions. Today’s readings remind us that we do not possess anything in our life that we refuse to surrender to the Lord. These things often possess us, for when we give our “things” top priority in our lives, we become the prisoners of our possessions. Thus, we violate the First Great Commandment, “You shall not have other gods beside me” which demands that we give absolute and unconditional priority to God.
Scripture lessons summarised: The first reading advises us to use the God-given virtue of prudence in order to seek true wisdom and to distinguish them from vanishing earthly realities, like riches or political and social influence. Solomon chose Wisdom before everything else — and he received “everything else” along with it! Since Jesus is Wisdom Incarnate, when we put following Jesus ahead of everything else, we, too, receive “everything else” along with Jesus. The second reading warns us that we are accountable to God for our use, or misuse, of His blessings, and that the “living and effective word of God” must be our guide in evaluating our use of His blessings.
In today’s Gospel selection (Mk 10:17-30), we find three sections: a narrative about Jesus’ encounter with a rich man, Jesus’ sayings about wealth as a possible obstacle to discipleship, and Jesus’ promise of reward for those who share their material possessions with the needy. Reminding the rich man of the commandments that deal with relationships with other people, Jesus challenged him to sell what he had, and to give the money to the poor. The disciples were shocked by this challenge. But Jesus declared that true religion consisted in one’s sharing one’s blessings with others rather than hoarding and/or getting inordinately attached to them.
We need to accept the invitation to generous sharing. Initially, Jesus, in generous, sacrificial love, gave us His very self; in response, we find rising in our hearts the desire to give Jesus our own total selves, and so to enter the Faith relationship which Jesus offers us. God does not ask us to give up our riches, but He does ask us to use them wisely in His service, not allowing them to gain control over our hearts. God gives us time, talents, health, wealth, and riches that we may use them as good stewards in the service of others.
Let us make a check list of our priorities and attachments, and give God top priority: Are anger, lust, gluttony, evil habits, addictions, jealousy, holding grudges, infidelity, or cheating among our habits as priorities? Let us invite God into our lives daily by praying for His strengthening grace and the anointing of His Holy Spirit so that we may give God top priority, keeping Bible as our guide. 3) We need to gain eternal life by living out our Faith in Jesus as our God and Saviour, and, with God’s strengthening grace, detaching ourselves from unnecessary attachments.