August 16, 2010
Monday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
As for you, son of man, truly, on the day I take away from them their bulwark, their glorious joy, the delight of their eyes, the desire of their soul, and the pride of their hearts, their sons and daughters, that day the fugitive will come to you, that you may hear it for yourself; that day your mouth shall be opened and you shall be dumb no longer. Thus you shall be a sign to them, and they shall know that I am the LORD. Ezekiel 24:25-27
Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to (the) poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Matthew 19:21-22
Piety
God, help us not to forget that your love brought us into this world. Brother Jesus, keep us from devoting all of our attention to material possessions. Holy Spirit, help us clear the way to see God more clearly without the obstacle of these possessions. Freed from this burden, help us to follow the way of the Lord more closely and love our neighbor more readily. Amen.
Study
POW! POW! Today we get a one-two punch from Ezekiel and Matthew about possessions. It is hard not to recognize the message once again is that we are not to revel in possession of this world. If we do, these possessions will be taken from us in order that we might better follow the commands of the Lord.
Give away the possessions that weigh us down as we try to walk with the Lord. Trade these in for treasures in heaven.
The young man in the Gospel went away sad because he had many possessions that he did not want to give away. As long as he would devote his attention to these items, then he would not be able to practice the mercy of God.
Action
What is the delight of your eyes?
What desires burn in your soul?
What fills your heart with pride?
Start this week to weed out your possessions. Give away items you no longer wear or use. Try the one-year test. If you have not used it or worn it in a year, then give it to someone who needs it more than you do.
