Twenty - Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
† Sunday 15th October 2000

Theme: Jesus - invites each of us to follow.

A reading from the Book of Wisdom 7 : 7 - 11
What is it you want more than anything else in life? Is it power, health, beauty, gold, precious stones? Or is ,Wisdom? Solomon has prayed to God for understanding, and is granted the great gift of wisdom. In this text Wisdom is spoken of as if it were a person. Christians, over the centuries have understood that this Wisdom is the very Person of God, and that the Spirit of God that comes to dwell with us is the most desirable gift that God can give us. With Solomon we can say, “I prayed, and understanding was given me; I entreated, and the Spirit of Wisdom came to me.”

Letter to the Hebrews: 4 : 12 - 13
The Word of God is incisive, and penetrates the most hidden recesses of our being. We cannot hide from the searching gaze of God. “Everything is uncovered and open to the eyes of the one to whom we must give account of ourselves.”

The Gospel according to Mark 10: 17 - 30
Many are the obstacles that might keep us from following the way of Jesus. “Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” asks the man who approaches Jesus. Keeping the Ten Commandments is but the start on the road to holiness. The way is sometimes difficult, even seemingly impossible. The example of the camel passing through the eye of the needle is easier to understand, when you know that many a middle eastern town would lock and bar the city gates at dusk, but kept a small gate through the wall which would permit the entrance of a man on foot, but would not allow his camel laden with merchandise, or a mounted armed man to enter the city after dark. Jesus listeners, would have understood just how difficult it would be for the wealthy merchant to enter the City of God.To enter the city, the merchant has to leave his wealth behind. So we can’t take our riches with us either. The apostle Peter asks, “What about us? We’ve left everything and followed you.” Each of us might reflect on the obstacles that might prevent us from entering the Kingdom of God.

© Peter Harrison 2000