Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

–   For all Christians, that we may be generous in serving the Lord and our neighbour, we pray:

–   For those who have dedicated their lives in the direct service of God, as priests, religious, ministers, that they may live fully in the loving hands of the Lord, we pray:

–   For all Christians, that they may be joyful people, who do not lose their smile even when they meet difficulties, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

God our Father,
With bread and wine, we remember him
who gave himself totally for others,
Your Son Jesus Christ.
Everything was taken away from him
except the certainty that you were with him.
With him, then, we offer ourselves,
that we may belong to you
and to the brothers and sisters
You have placed on our way.
Let no trial keep us from remaining free
and from living in communion with you,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
by the power of this eucharist
help us to see and to practice fully
What it means to be a disciple of Jesus:
that only when we forgive do we find forgiveness,
that our thirst is quenched
When we give our neighbour to drink,
that we find consolation
When we speak words that alleviate pain,
When we break and share bread
We will find your joy
that lasts forever and ever.

Blessing

We are in the hands of God, a good God, a merciful God. We try to serve him well and entrust ourselves to him. May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

REFLECTIONS 

Mark 10: 28-31

Take part in God’s “Hundredfold.”

Jesus addressed the disciples to escape the dangers of being corrupted by the devil of wealth and riches. People are frightened of being possessed by the devil. Material wealth is one of the ways the devil can possess humans.

In this context, in today’s gospel, Peter says, “Look at us; we left everything and followed you.” As always, Mark uses Peter’s voice to represent the group of disciples who gave up their families and trade to be with the master. But, Mark, in the following chapters, would tell us that Peter and his companions had not really left behind all their attachments - their own self-reliance or their need for prestige and position.

Claretian Father Paulson Veliyanoor, in his reflections on the passage, says, “There were far more important but subtle attachments they had not yet given up. Almost immediately after Peter’s declaration, James and John make a selfish request: “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” They gave up material possessions, alright, but the attachment to honourable positions had not left them.

Jesus mentions several things and people that should be left behind for the cause of the Kingdom. He also gives a list of things and people that a disciple would receive a hundredfold. The list includes brothers and sisters, mothers and children – but curiously, there is no mention of fathers. In God’s Kingdom, all are children, and we have only one Father – God.

Mark obviously had in mind the situation of his community of disciples in Rome. The experience of unity, affection and mutual commitment within the community of disciples would be immeasurably more bonding than the natural family ties. The promise of a hundredfold is the result of leaving all for the sake of Jesus and for the sake of his gospel.

Today’s gospel calls on us for a conversion of heart and a radical change in our relationships. This is where we share in the “enough” and the “hundredfold” God has given us. In this plan of God, no one is greater or smaller than others because we all share the same image of God.

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Mark 10:28-31

Call to Holiness

An offering is a way to express our gratitude to the Lord. Peter, however, is looking out for his own interests when he reminds Jesus that he and the other disciples gave up everything to follow him.

The majority of people who have dedicated themselves to the reign of God have experienced that there could be some pain in abandoning things that are important to them for the sake of following God's will more perfectly. However, those devoted to the church have found a new family, a home, and many other benefits. A life guided by the Gospel is not one filled with sadness or despair.

“You shall be holy, for I am holy.” This invitation is often found in the Bible. Understanding the concept of holiness can be quite challenging at times. We usually associate holiness with the saintly figures depicted in our churches - statues with folded hands and eyes raised towards the heavens.

The Hebrew concept of holiness is rooted in the idea of "otherness," or being set apart from the norm. Our actions define us as individuals. When we lead a life of integrity, take care of the less fortunate, ensure that all families have access to food, and prioritise the well-being of children who are often overlooked by society, we embody this sacred "otherness." These actions are all manifestations of holiness.

In today's Gospel, Jesus suggests that living for others is a path to holiness. This idea can be summed up in one sentence: To be holy means living in a way that would be meaningless if God did not exist.

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Mark 10:28-31

Life has not been given to us to make money, to be successful or to achieve personal well-being but to become brothers and sisters to one another. Hence, sharing what is ours with those in need is the only force for growth, the only thing that decisively advances humanity towards salvation.

“Look at us. We left everything and followed you.”

Really? Perhaps Peter's claim reflects a lack of clear self-knowledge. He had not yet left behind his own self-reliance, or his need for prestige and position. Jesus promised them a hundredfold would be the result of leaving all for his sake and the sake of the gospel.  But Peter’s observation indicates that the experience of the hundredfold had not become his own experience. Why had he apparently missed out on the experience of the hundredfold?

Perhaps the evangelist's attempt was to remind the catechumens, for whom he wrote his Gospel, that the commitment they were about to make by receiving baptism and the sacrifices that would be asked of them in the process would not go in vain; would never be futile.

In his conversation with the rich young man who asked what he should do to inherit eternal life, the demand was to sell all that he had and give to the poor. Now, the same demand is repeated, but as a statement. “Whoever has given up anything for the Gospel, will receive a hundred-fold” and “eternal life in the age to come.” The young man in yesterday’s Gospel and Peter in today’s passage share the same misconception: they think of eternal life as a reward. What shall we do so that God will reward us with eternal life?

Jesus rectifies this misconception: Eternal life is not a reward for our acts of charity and prayers. Instead, it is purely a gift of God, given freely to us. It begins when a person lets go of one’s personal choices, interests and possessions, and surrenders oneself to the  life-giving God. Such a life begins very much in this world.

Today’s gospel invites us to experience the joy of sharing in the eternal life that Jesus has promised us. It is not a life that we wait for, to begin after our death. Rather, it is a life that God shares with us here and now. The very phrase “Eternal Life” implies that it has neither a beginning nor an end – that is the life of God. Jesus promises a share in that life when we surrender our will, interests, possessions and positions to God.