October 10: 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading I: Wisdom 7:7-11
Responsorial Psalm: 90:12-13, 14-15, 16-17
Reading II: Hebrews 4:12-13
Gospel: Mark 10:17-30

In today’s Gospel, Jesus looks at the rich man with love just as he looks at each of us. No matter our wealth or lack of it, education or lack of it, position or lack of it, God looks at us with love. Even if we didn’t throw ourselves at Jesus’ feet and say, “I keep the commandments; what else must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus would still look upon us with love. Hard to conceive of such unconditional love, isn’t it? Our gracious God is a God of mercy, forgiveness and unconditional love. Therefore, that same ability to love, forgive and have mercy resides in each of us, through the Holy Spirit given at our baptism and sealed at our confirmation. That is key. The Holy Spirit empowers us to love, to forgive, to have mercy and to live lives of abundant faith, hope, charity, hospitality, generosity, patience, compassion, kindness, joy and more. We look at our lives and by our humble assessment always come up short. We do not see with God’s eyes. We want to live out all those virtues and miss the mark. And so again we humble ourselves, give our time and riveted attention to listen to God when we ask, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” God is likely to be saying to us, “Focus on doing my will as you pray every day in the Our Father, ‘thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’”  

How do we discern God’s will? We check out Galatians 5:22 and lift up to God each important choice we make. We ask God if that choice meets the criteria set up in Galatians 5:28 and Listen, Listen, Listen to God with more attention than we’ve ever listened to anyone. If we get an idea to do or say good, we do it. If not, we simply follow through on our gut instincts and lived experience on what brings the most love and good to the most people and do it. We evaluate outcomes. We ask, “What are the consequences of my actions, my words? Are things more joyful, loving, hopeful, peaceful, kind?” Again, we check that list in Galatians 5:22. In the light of any not so good results, we again listen to God and ask how to tweak our behavior and edit our words. We try again. Evaluate again; listen to God again; tweak and edit again and try again. God is not finished with us and never will be and is always loving us into being the best version of ourselves. God treats us each uniquely but what is common among God’s requests of us is that we put nothing between God and ourselves, not lots of stuff, not distractions, nothing that could draw our attention to what is not of God. When we look around and see what is of God, we see God’s glorious creation and we see needy children, obstacles to health for them, obstacles to food for them, obstacles to safe affordable housing for them, obstacles to life skill training for them, obstacles to our ability to stop people from harming another and everything in the way of helping all humanity thrive. At least that is the take I get when I pray with the last judgment scene in Matthew 25: 31- 46. We are to see and serve Jesus as we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give drink to the thirsty, visit the sick, welcome the stranger. Are those commands biblical imperatives? According to today’s second reading we are reminded the “word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit.”  

In our world there is and always has been great good and evil. Our first reading today from Wisdom urges us to pray and prudence will be given us. We are asked to plead, and the spirit of wisdom will come to us. Our psalm today has us praying to be filled with God’s love that we may gain wisdom of heart! As we sing this ancient psalm at mass this weekend we pray with people since ancient times asking God to fill us with God’s kindness.  

That is something we really can work on, improve upon and be! Even if we do not feel loving, we can be lovingly kind. If there is anything our world needs it is loving kindness locally, nationally and internationally. We will have a wonderful opportunity this October through April to show our loving kindness to our church and world as we participate in the Synod consultations as the People of God listening to one another in holy dialogue and discerning God’s will, collaboratively, to feel with the entire church. That includes the suffering Amazon region, the marginalized, the poor, and God’s word with inclusive and pastoral (kind) practices. After the 2018 Synod where we were not consulted the International Theological Commission urges us to participate in the future, reminding us that the first level in synodal discernment is listening to the local churches and how the faith is expressed in different cultures and contexts. What do you discern with God that the Church needs to be doing and saying to care for God’s creation, to quench violence, alleviate poverty, heal illness, and help the People of God and all humanity thrive? 

~Dr. Deni Mack, Pastoral Associate Emerita