First Reading: Wisdom 7:7-11
I prayed, and prudence was given me;
I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.
I preferred her to scepter and throne,
and deemed riches nothing in comparison with her,
nor did I liken any priceless gem to her;
because all gold, in view of her, is a little sand,
and before her, silver is to be accounted mire.
Beyond health and comeliness I loved her,
and I chose to have her rather than the light,
because the splendor of her never yields to sleep.
Yet all good things together came to me in her company,
and countless riches at her hands.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 90:12-13, 14-15, 16-17
R. (14) Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
Make us glad, for the days when you afflicted us,
for the years when we saw evil.
R. Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
Let your work be seen by your servants
and your glory by their children;
and may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R. Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
Second Reading: Hebrews 4:12-13
Brothers and sisters:
Indeed the word of God is living and effective,
sharper than any two-edged sword,
penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow,
and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
No creature is concealed from him,
but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him
to whom we must render an account.
Gospel: Mark 10:17-30
As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up,
knelt down before him, and asked him,
"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good?
No one is good but God alone.
You know the commandments: You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
you shall not defraud;
honor your father and your mother."
He replied and said to him,
"Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth."
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,
"You are lacking in one thing.
Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."
At that statement his face fell,
and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,
"How hard it is for those who have wealth
to enter the kingdom of God!"
The disciples were amazed at his words.
So Jesus again said to them in reply,
"Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."
They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves,
"Then who can be saved?"
Jesus looked at them and said,
"For human beings it is impossible, but not for God.
All things are possible for God."
Peter began to say to him,
"We have given up everything and followed you."
Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come."
I couldn’t sit down today until I had cleaned up the kitchen and done something the piles that were mounting on the counter. The dishes in the sink, the paper threatening to slide onto the floor, they pulled my mind away from my spiritual task and blinded me from what I was called to do. Sit in peace, pray, reflect, and write the words for you.
I often keep myself just one or to duties away from the Word. I am distracted by the gifts and true blessings that God has bestowed. My children, my spouse, our home, our family, our friends—these are my riches, but these are also the very wealth that sometimes prevents me from growing closer to our Lord.
I have a closet of ‘stuff’ that I need to sort and the pantry that overflows and needs to be organized. I have seeds that I need to plant and garden hoses to replace. Lunches that were forgotten need to be delivered and quick trips to the library need to be made. It is easy to tell myself that I am simply trying to live my vocation as wife and mother to its fullest, but if I am too busy with the distractions of this life to sit and read His word, then I am like that rich man. I am turning my back on time with our Lord in order to sort socks, or return my sister’s phone call, or make an extravagant dinner.
Giving up our homes, our family, our lives for the sake of the Gospel can be done in little ways every day. Forsaking these riches for Him can be as simple as dedicating one day a week for daily Mass before embarking on our worldly tasks, or having coffee with the Lord while we read His word rather than while we clean up the breakfast mess.
Putting our Lord first doesn’t have to mean turning your back on your vocations, your relationships, and those you love, but it does mean giving God time first. Let's put God first, give Him your day, give Him your love, give him your thoughts and prayers, your hands, hearts and mind.
What distracts you from growing closer to our Lord? What are your riches that keep you from following Him each day? How can you make your relationship with God your priority today?
MaryRuth Hackett is a full-time wife and mother doing her best to teach her four children to love God and country. You can find out more about her here.
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