Readings;  Wis 7:7-11  and Ps 90:12-13, 14-15, 16-17  and Heb 4:12-13  and Mk 10:17-30 or 10:17-27

I was giving a retreat. I was preaching on this passage and linking it to Luke’s version of the Beatitudes in which for every blessing there is a woe – “Blessed are the poor for the kingdom of God is theirs. Woe to you who are rich, you have received your consolation.”

A man in the congregation stood up. “I take offense to what you just read. I am sick and tired of the Church preaching against the rich. We do a great deal for our churches.  It is because of us you have a new roof on this building. Because of us you priests have food on the table! Where would Catholic Charities be without us?” 

I said, “I don’t think this Gospel is condemning your generosity, Sir. Why don’t we explore the passage and see if we can find some common ground.”

He replied, “Dear God, can’t you talk about something else? ” He sat down. 

“What is at the heart of the phrase “give all to the poor?” anyway?  No one can give all to the poor without becoming destitute. Is Jesus’ phrase “nothing is impossible for God” about making us all destitute? Perhaps the man was right to be offended! 

Could it be that “Giving up everything” is about centering ourselves in God – thinking of God in every choice we make, every word we speak?  

Do we think of God after a harmonious event? 

Do we think of God when we find ourselves in love? 

Do we recognize that that woman or man or spouse, or friend who touches our hearts so deeply could be God’s gift to us? 

Do we  think of God when we get an “A” on a test, celebrate a birthday, or will we,  think of God should the Yankees win the world series?  

Ultimately, Providence is at work. Our lives are not our own. That is True Wisdom. 

The GOOD NEWS TODAY IS THAT WE ALL CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD no matter our income, our social contacts, our achievements. When our riches, our accomplishments, root us in a mindset that they come from God –or God’s good purposes– ALL IS WELL, and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Nevertheless, riches are but the crust on a loaf of bread.  We love the crust – crispy, tasty, buttery. The heart of the bread, however — what Jesus calls the kingdom of God, the bread of life — finds itself in the essence, the nutritive elements in the bread: the yeast, the risen dough. That’s what is important.  It is not the crust, but the whole loaf that represents Kingdom that is bread for all the faithful. Best of all, bread is more spiritually nutritious when it is broken and shared. 

The man stood up again. He  said:  “I don’t know why you have to talk about this,” he said. “ Show some gratitude for the wealthy or leave us alone.” 

I said, “I am sorry, sir.  I thought my reflection would put us on the same page.” 

He said, “No, father, we are not on the same page.” Suddenly the congregation, called out in one voice: “Turn the page! Turn the page! Turn the page!” 

I would like to leave us with this:  We have no idea what happened to the rich young man in the Gospel after he left Jesus’ company. We must take note, however, that although he was wealthy, he was not content, and he WAS asking questions. What if he had stood his ground and said to Jesus, “Explain yourself.”  Alas, he did not. 

This Scripture reminds us that there is a time for everything under the sun. Maybe the young man in the Gospel just wasn’t ready to go further. The man at my retreat, at least, felt comfortable enough to voice his objections. Who knows what life may have had in store for either one of those rich men? Who knows what questions will arise in the hearts and minds of anyone as we go on our way? 

I invite us today to TRUST IN GOD’S TIMING. Trust that today we are hearing what we might need to hear.  But, if we are not “hearing what we need to hear,”  just knowing that we’re not ready to engage in what we hear- having that kind of self-knowledge – might just be enough to be good for today. What is most important, however, is that we keep coming back. Keep asking, keep praying, keep pitting our answers against others to see what we come up with together.  Keep the book open, without judging one other. It is vital that we honor the fact that we are all in different stage in our respective faith journeys. We turn the pages at our own pace, trusting that Jesus, God as a human person,  is all in all. That’s true Faith. Who knows? Perhaps, someday, in some way, we may find ourselves all on the same page.