25th May.Monday Ordinary time Week 8

1.Reading:Sirach 17:20-24 (repent from sin while you are still alive, the dead cannot praise God)

2.Reading: Mark10:17-27(Jesus invites the rich young man to give away his money and be a disciple)

Gaining through losing

 When we reflect the paradox of gaining and loosing automatically we think of St Peter and Mark's gospel for it is through their writings that we find the theological teaching of loosing and gaining. This practice of loosing and gaining has got practical use beyond spiritual sphere, for example, the gambler knows that he/she stands to loose or gain

the wagered amount - but risks it for the sake of prize to be won.How many physicians urge their patients to lose some weight in pursuit of healthier life style?

The phylosophy of Jesus demands that no pain no gain, under this background that the anonymous rich young man finds it difficult to call on renunciation,Perhaps the rich young man was ready for other aspects pertaining to Jesus'mission like aspects of discipleship,travelling but not the aspect of renunciation. We learn a lesson that giftedness a and talents sometimes if  not well used for the sake of God's kingdom can be an obstacle in welcoming the kingdom of God.

An Answer harder than question

Asking a question is an easy task that everybody can do however, the challenge is to come to to terms with answer.That is the case of the young rich man who run before Jesus asking him the conditions to belong to God's Kingdom.After the rich man realized that the Kingdom of God was too demanding he decided to run away.The rich young man teaches us a lesson that he felt could not make it to live the ideals of Jesus,that what Jesus told him was  not his vocation his vocation was on the other aspects of spiritual life, thus somehow a rich man made a right decision of avoiding plunging himself into the life he could no longer bear,thus by pretending to do so he could have lived the life that was not his.In choosing to follow Jesus we are all demanded to choose with total conviction. The same experience of the rich man is still echoing in our life today that Jesus is still calling each one of us to accomplish particular vocation,yet the temptation behind is to say absolute Yes or No.When our Lord  calls us we do not respond with our own strength but we will be able to answer the call of Jesus being empowered by his own strength.Everything will be possible if we will  abide in Jesus.