GOSPEL POWER |MAY 25, 2021|TUESDAY

Saint Bede the Venerable, Priest and Doctor of the Church, Saint Gregory VII, Pope, Saint Mary Magdalene of Pazzi, Virgin|8thWeek in Ordinary Time

Gospel: Mk 10: 28 – 31

Peter began to say to Jesus, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age — houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions — and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

REFLECTION

This conversation between Jesus and Peter picks up the  sad ending of the episode about the rich young man  who could not accept Jesus’ invitation to discipleship  because he was unable to renounce his possessions. With an air of  self-righteousness, Peter notes that he and his companions quickly  abandoned everything to become Jesus’ disciples. The reply of Jesus  to this remark is double-edged. First, he implies that God cannot be  outdone in generosity. Thus, Peter and the other disciples can expect  a hundredfold return of what they have renounced; plus persecution,  which is their share in the lot of their Lord; and eternal life, which  the rich young man yearned to inherit. But Jesus’ final statement  sounds like a subtle warning against Peter’s presumption. A reversal  of fortunes is still possible. The rich young man may even precede  them into the Kingdom of God, for “all things are possible for God.”

PRAYER

Lord, may we never count on personal merits to inherit eternal life, but  simply trust in your mercy. Amen