Today’s Gospel reading from Mark’s Gospel chapter 10 has us contemplating the meaning of life. “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mk. 10:17). The parable of the rich man is an example that can include our life as well. While we don’t necessarily have to sell off all of our possessions to follow Jesus, nor do we have to give up other luxuries in life to be a Christian disciple, the interior question should be where is our heart and soul at this moment in our earthly journey? When Jesus informs his disciples that it is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven and easier for a camel to enter through the eye of a needle (Mk 10:25) it is confusing imagery. After all, the rich man could not part with his possessions because his heart was dependent on something else, something that was not geared toward the dependency of God’s will and His love.
The second reading from Hebrews chapter 4:12-13 has us contemplating God’s Word being sharper than any two edged sword, penetrating to the interior depths of our heart. We must not let the words from holy scripture go in one ear and out another. Our selective hearing must be open to this message in which we are a lot like the rich man, hearing only those teachings from Jesus that coincide with my status quo, but don’t always line up with the sacrifice we as disciples are called to make.
What prevents us from going all in to be Jesus’s disciple? As the responsorial psalm reminds us (Psalm 90) Fill us with your love Lord, and we will sing of your joy!
The personification and imagery from the book of Wisdom (7:7-11) in the first reading reminds us that the goal of attaining wisdom that comes from the Lord God is superior to all else.
Take some time this week and reflect on what you should give up to follow Christ Jesus more closely.
One great spiritual habit to take up is to do the Examen Prayer Meditation by Saint Ignatius of Loyola:
The five steps as clarified by the Jesuit Institute found in Saint Ignatius’s Spiritual Exercises Retrieved January 14, 2024, from https://jesuitinstitute.org/Pages/Examen.htmre) are as follows:
1. Give Thanks – How do we show gratitude for the blessings God gave us for the day?
2. Ask for light – How do we ask God to enlighten our hearts and minds by being attentive to His presence with us throughout the day at work, school, leisure or otherwise?
3. Examine the day – How has God been present in those moments with consolation in my actions and reactions to others? How has God not been present with my actions and reactions to others with desolation?
4. Ask for forgiveness – ask for forgiveness for the times when we reacted contrary to His will and reception to His grace in our day. How were we not spreading the good news of the gospel by our actions both in word and deed?
5. Resolution to change – determine what can be done the next day to change our demeanor, our attitude and behavior of reflecting God’s love in the world.
StreetEvangelist 
