VIGESIMO OCTAVO DOMINGO DEL TIEMPO ORDINARIO 2024

Mis queridos hermanos y hermanas, las lecturas de este domingo nos hablan de la sabiduría, del dinero y de elegir a Jesús como camino de vida. Permítanme compartir con ustedes estas preguntas:

1. ¿Crees que necesitamos dinero para vivir?

2. ¿Tienes lo necesario para vivir?

3.¿Alguna vez Jesús te ha pedido algo difícil de cumplir?

4. ¿Crees que basta con rezar para

conseguir la vida eterna?

5. ¿Qué es más importante, el dinero o la sabiduría, para la educación de tus hijos?

6. ¿Has pedido alguna vez a Dios sabiduría para tus hijos?

En la primera lectura aprendemos lo importante que debe ser la sabiduría en nuestras vidas. Vivimos en una sociedad que considera que el dinero es más importante que la sabiduría. De acuerdo con el texto que hemos leído hoy, la sabiduría es más importante, ya que con ella podemos administrar sabiamente todo lo que poseemos, incluyendo nuestras propias vidas.

Permítanme decir que la sabiduría es muy diferente del conocimiento; la sabiduría nos permite aplicar los conocimientos que tenemos a nuestras vidas y vivir de acuerdo con ellos. A veces tenemos  conocimientos sobre muchas cosas, pero no los aplicamos a nuestras vidas ni vivimos de acuerdo con ellos. Por ejemplo, sabemos que la comida grasosa o los alimentos ultra procesados son dañinos para nuestra salud; sin embargo, la mayoría de nosotros, cuando tenemos la oportunidad, los comemos. Otro ejemplo: sabemos que perdonar es bueno para nuestra salud, pero hay muchas personas que eligen no perdonar y guardar rencor en sus corazones.

Ahora bien, ¿crees que el joven rico que se acercó a Jesús era sabio? Probablemente no, porque no fue capaz de ver la gran oportunidad que Jesús le puso delante y eligió el dinero en lugar de lo que Dios le pidió. Hermanos y hermanas, es obvio que necesitamos dinero para vivir, pero según Jesús una cosa es necesitar dinero para los gastos necesarios y otra muy distinta es poner la confianza solo en el dinero, hasta convertirte en su esclavo.

En el Evangelio, Jesús se encuentra con un joven rico que debe tomar dos decisions importantes en su vida: elegir entre el dinero y seguir a Jesucristo. Él eligió el dinero en lugar de Jesús. Por eso, Jesús le dijo a él y a nosotros: «más fácil le es a un camello pasar por el ojo de una aguja que a un rico entrar en el reino de Dios».

Creo que esta afirmación no se aplica solo a los ricos, sino a todos los que están apegados al dinero, a los que creen que nunca tienen suficiente y tratan de conseguir más y más, a los que por conseguir dinero perdieron sus buenos valores, como la honestidad, la justicia, la religión, la familia y la conciencia, y también a los que sienten envidia y resentimiento porque no son ricos y viven con amargura y rabia en sus corazones.

En el Evangelio, Jesús recuerda a sus discípulos que nuestra salvación viene de Dios y no de la riqueza. Por eso dijo: «Es más fácil que un camello pase por el ojo de una aguja que un rico entre en el reino de Dios». Jesús sabía que la mayoría de las veces, los ricos están tan apegados a sus tesoros que se olvidan de compartir lo que tienen con los pobres. En este caso, la riqueza no se convierte en una bendición, sino en una maldición para los que se quedan ciegos a causa de ella.

Es importante destacar que este joven acudió a Jesús para pedirle un consejo, pero al final no lo siguió y decidió continuar su vida según su deseo y no según Jesucristo. Pidamos a Dios que nos dé sabiduría desde el cielo para vivir de acuerdo a su voluntad y elegir siempre a Jesús como camino de vida eterna. Amén

Rev. Luis Segura M.S.C.—Pastor

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TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 2024

My dear brothers and sisters, the readings for this Sunday speak to us about wisdom, money, and choosing Jesus as our way of life. Let me share with you these questions:

1. Do you think we need money to live?

2. Do you have what it takes to live?

3. Has Jesus ever asked you to do something difficult?

4. Do you think it is enough to pray to obtain eternal life?

5. What is more important, money or wisdom, for the education of your children?

6. Have you ever asked God for wisdom for your children?

In the first reading we learn how important wisdom should be in our lives. We live in a society that considers money to be more important than wisdom. According to the text we have read today, wisdom is more important, since with it we can wisely manage everything we possess, including our own lives.

Let me say that wisdom is very different from knowledge; wisdom allows us to apply the knowledge we have to our lives and live according to it. Sometimes we have knowledge about many things, but we do not apply it to our lives or live according to it. For example, we know that greasy food or ultra-processed foods are harmful to our health; however, most of us, when we have the opportunity, eat them. Another example: we know that forgiveness is good for our health, but there are many people who choose not to forgive and hold a grudge in their hearts.

Now, do you think that the rich young man who approached Jesus was wise? Probably not, because he was not able to see the great opportunity that Jesus put before him and chose money instead of what God asked of him. Brothers and sisters, it is obvious that we need money to live, but according to Jesus, one thing is to need money for necessary expenses and quite another is to put your trust only in money, to the point of becoming its slave.

In the Gospel, Jesus meets a rich young man who must make two important decisions in his life: choose between money and following Jesus Christ. He chose money instead of Jesus. That is why Jesus said to him and to us: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

I believe that this statement does not apply only to the rich, but to all those who are attached to money, to those who believe that they never have enough and try to get more and more, to those who for the sake of getting money lost their good values, such as honesty, justice, religion, family and conscience, and also to those who feel envy and resentment because they are not rich and live with bitterness and anger in their hearts.

In the Gospel, Jesus reminds his disciples that our salvation comes from God and not from wealth. That is why he said: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Jesus knew that most of the time, the rich are so attached to their treasures that they forget to share what they have with the poor. In this case, wealth does not become a blessing, but a curse for those who are blinded by it.

It is important to note that this young man went to Jesus for advice, but in the end he did not follow it and decided to continue his life according to his desire and not according to Jesus Christ. Let us ask God to give us wisdom from heaven to live according to his will and always choose Jesus as the path to eternal life. Amen

Rev. Luis Segura M.S.C.—Pastor

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Look for God’s Gaze…

Today’s Liturgy offers us the encounter between Jesus and a man who “had great possessions”, and who went down in history as “the rich young man”. We can all see ourselves in this man, as though in a mirror. The man begins with a question: “What must I do, to have eternal life?”. Notice the verbs he uses: “must do” — “to have”. Here is his religiosity: a duty, a doing so as to obtain; “I do something to get what I need”. But this is a commercial relationship with God, a quid pro quo. Faith, on the other hand, is not a cold, mechanical ritual, a “must-do-obtain”. It is a question of freedom and love. Faith is a question of freedom; it is a question of love. Here is a first test: what is faith for me? If it is mainly a duty or a bargaining chip, we are off track, because salvation is a gift and not a duty, it is free and cannot be bought. The first thing to do is to free ourselves of a commercial and mechanical faith, which insinuates the false image of an accountant God, a controlling God, not a father. And very often in life we experience this “commercial” relationship of faith: I do this, so that God will give me that.

Jesus, in the second step, helps this man by offering him the true face of God. Indeed, the text says, “Jesus looking upon him loved him”: this is God! This is where faith is born and reborn: not from a duty, not from something that is to be done or paid, but from a gaze of love to be welcomed. In this way Christian life becomes beautiful, if it is not based on our abilities and our plans, but rather based on God’s gaze. Is your faith, is my faith tired? Do you want to reinvigorate it? Look for God’s gaze: sit in adoration, allow yourself to be forgiven in Confession, stand before the Crucified One. In short, let yourself be loved by him. This is the starting point of faith: letting oneself be loved by him, by he who is father.

After the question and the gaze there is — the third and final step — an invitation from Jesus, who says: “You lack one thing”. What was that rich man lacking? Giving, gratuitousness. “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor”. It is perhaps what we are missing too. We often do the bare minimum, whereas Jesus invites us to do the maximum possible. How many times are we satisfied with doing our duties — the precepts, a few prayers, and many things like that — whereas God, who gives us life, asks us for leaps of life! In today’s Gospel we can see this passage from duty to giving, clearly; Jesus begins by recalling the Commandments: “Do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal….”, and so on and arrives at a positive proposal: “Go, sell, give, follow me!”. Faith cannot be limited to [a series of] “no”, because Christian life is a “yes” – a “yes” of love.

A faith without giving, a faith without gratuitousness is an incomplete faith. It is a weak faith, a faith that is ill. We could compare it to rich and nourishing food that nonetheless lacks flavor, or a more or less well-played game, but without a goal: no, it isn’t good, it lacks “salt”. A faith without giving, without gratuitousness, without works of charity, makes us sad in the end: just like that man who returned home “sorrowful” with a fallen countenance, even though he had been looked upon with love by Jesus in person. Today we can ask ourselves: “At what point is my faith? Do I experience it as something mechanical, like a relationship of duty or interest with God? Do I re-member to nourish it by letting myself be looked at and loved by Jesus”? Letting oneself be gazed at and loved by Jesus; letting Jesus look at us, love us. “And, attracted by him, do I respond freely, with generosity, with all my heart?”.

May the Virgin Mary, who said a total “yes” to God, a “yes” without “but” — it is not easy to say “yes” without “but”: Our Lady did just that, a “yes” without a “but” — let us savor the beauty of making life a gift. [Synthesized from Pope Francis, Angelus, 10 X, 2021]

Fr. Rajesh M.S.C.

28th Sunday - B

Ahhh…  That 'poor' – Rich, Young Man…  "You are lacking in one thing." 

Go - sell what you have - and give to the poor."   Wow.....

I wonder which the rich man regretted more:

·          That he did not follow the instructions of Jesus.

·          Or - that he asked Jesus that question in the first place.

It's interesting that Jesus added an extra Commandment to his list:   "You shall not defraud."

I believe Jesus added it because there were some – who were proficient in  using the Law – or bending the Law  – to justify their own actions or lifestyle.  …While at the same time – professing to obey the Commandments.

Now – some legalists could say that defrauding was not technically breaking one of the Ten Commandments – because the 7th Commandment says: "Thou shall not steal." But – Jesus (in effect) was saying: "You know what I'm talking about..."

Apparently – this was not the case with the rich, young man –  who professed:  "Teacher, I have observed all these from my youth."  In effect, he was saying,  "I have never done - anyone - any harm."

Probably true.  But - he never said what good he had done – especially with all his wealth.  So – when Jesus answered his question – and gave him the opportunity to do good – he couldn't deal with it.  “He went away sad, for he had many possessions.”

And, Jesus said:
"How hard it is for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God !

It is easier for a camel – to pass through the eye of a needle."

Jesus was also quick to say:  "For humans it is impossible.  But nothing is impossible for God.  All things are possible – with God.”

……Some of you may know that – before I retired – I was the Director of the Office of Construction and Real Estate for our Diocese.  In that position – I had the opportunity to meet with and work with quite a few people – who are wealthy.  Very wealthy – some of them – Billionaires. 

And, these good people understood the part about:  "All things are possible with God" – because their life was with God.  They used their wealth to be generous donors to our Diocese; our parishes; our Catholic Schools; our Catholic Hospitals – as well as funding programs for the poor and needy.

For many of these wealthy people – their generosity is their ministry.  Now – some might say:  "How hard is it – to write a check ?" 

It's not just the writing of a check...  The significant part is their relationship with God and their compassion for the poor and needy – that prompted them to write that check.

My friends – it's no secret that our Church relies solely on donations – from the rich – and from those who are not rich.  And, these donations do a lot more than pay our electric bill.  They support our parish ministries – like Catechism Classes; Sacramental Preparation – and, of course, helping the poor and needy.

It’s also no secret that our Church relies on Volunteers.  I personally doubt very much if our Church could flourish if didn’t have any Volunteers who give their precious time and energy as Disciples of Christ:

Feeding the Hungry

Visiting the Sick

Sheltering the Homeless

Visiting the Imprisoned – all in the name of Jesus.