PRAYER

Thank You for this day and the beauty that fills each hour. We treasure Your commands and seek to do what is right in Your sight. Help us to walk in Your ways and to depend on You. Amen

READING

¹⁷ As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

¹⁸ “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’^[a]”

²⁰ “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

²¹ Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

²² At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

²³ Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

²⁴ The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁶ The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

²⁸ Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”

²⁹ “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel ³⁰ will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.³¹ But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

REFLECTION

Most of us lead busy lives. Working hard at school or at our jobs, participating in extra curriculars (or driving kids to them) fills up our days and weeks. Work is good and God has given us skills and talents to work but we need to be careful work doesn't come before God. In the Scripture today, the rich man asks Jesus how to inherit eternal life. The rich man feels pretty good because he has completed all the things Jesus says to do. Then, a shift occurs. Jesus "looks" at him. My guess is that it wasn't just a glance, it was a deep look into his heart and without shame or condemnation, Jesus identifies the rich man's emotional attachment to his wealth. With love, Jesus tells him what he needs to do. Note the rich man's response was not anger, it was sadness and grief. The rich man knew Jesus was right but could not do what was being asked of him. It is difficult for all of us to give up something we hold dear. During Lent, we fast for a finite period of time in order to address our dependency on other things besides God. There will always be something competing for our attention and time. It is important that we do not allow these things to cut us off from others and from God. When we truly trust God, we can let go of our dependency on the things we have put our hope in like money, friendships, job, school, or sports. There is nothing wrong with these things but if we put our security and trust in them, we lose our anchor when they disappear.

Lent will be over soon, as will your fasting. Have you noticed any difference in your life since you removed something for Lent? Has your dependency on what you are fasting from decreased?

LENT CHECK IN

How are you doing with Lent? It's normal to run out of steam. Congratulations for reading today's reflection! Celebrate this victory! Keep going and keep pressing on!

Fiddle on the Roof is a classic movie from 1971. Check out this famous song from the movie: If I Were a Rich Man (or watch the whole film)