Monday, March 4, 2019
Monday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Saint Casimir – Optional Memorial
Tiningnan siya ni Hesus nang may pagmamahal at sinabi sa kanya, “May isang bagay ka pang kulang. Humayo ka, ipagbili mo ang iyong mga ari-arian at ibigay sa mga dukha, at magkakaroon ka ng kayamanan sa langit; pagkatapos, halika at sumunod ka sa akin.” Sa mga salitang iyon, nanlumo siya at umalis na malungkot, sapagkat marami siyang ari-arian. Mark 10:21-22
May dalawang mahalagang bagay na dapat bigyang-pansin sa talatang ito ng Banal na Kasulatan. Una, ang tugon ni Hesus, at ikalawa, ang tugon ng mayamang binata.
Jesus, it says, looked at him and “loved him.” It’s important to be aware of this line as a precursor to what Jesus calls this young man to do. He calls him to give up everything he has, give it all away, and come follow Jesus. And Jesus invited him to do this out of love.
Jesus is inviting this young man to gain much more than he currently possesses. That’s why Jesus looked at him with love before He invited the young man to follow Him in a total and radical way. But, in this case, loving Jesus was going to hurt. It was going to hurt in the sense of his following of Jesus required a total sacrifice of everything. It was total and radical. It was hard, at least from a purely human and worldly standpoint. But Jesus’ love for this young man was so perfect that He was willing to invite him to endure the sacrifice of everything so that the rich man could gain so much more.
We are invited to do the same. No, we may not be called to follow Jesus in the unique and radical way of giving up all our physical possessions. But we are called to follow Jesus to the same degree of trust and abandonment to His divine will. And that will inevitably require sacrifice. Sacrifice to the greatest degree.
Our reaction to Jesus’ call to discipleship is key. How will we respond to this invitation to give completely of ourselves? The rich young man reacted at first with sorrow. He did not accept the invitation Jesus offered. We do not know if he eventually did follow Jesus in this radical and total way, but we do know his first reaction.
Kadalasan, ganito rin ang una nating tugon. Nais nating maging tapat at nais nating sumunod kay Kristo anuman ang hingin Niya. Ngunit kapag binigyan tayo ng isang tiyak na paanyayang tumugon sa Kanyang tawag, malungkot tayong tumatalikod dahil iniisip nating napakabigat ng hinihingi ng paanyayang iyon.
Pagnilayan mo ngayon ang mayamang binatang ito. Tingnan mo ang sarili mong buhay at pag-isipan kung gaano ka kahanda at kusang-loob na magsabi ng lubusang “Oo” sa anumang hinihingi sa iyo ni Hesus. Ang pagsasabi ng “Oo” nang may pagsasakripisyo ang pinakamabuting pasiyang magagawa mo. Sa katunayan, ito ay kusang-loob na pagtanggap sa pinakamaluwalhating buhay na maaari mong isabuhay.
Lord, following You at times can seem hard and demanding. It can seem as though it’s too much. Help me, especially in those moments, to trust You more than the many attachments I have in this world. Jesus, I trust in You.
Higit pang mga Pagninilay sa Ebanghelyo
Mga Pagninilay sa Inaawit na Awa ng Diyos
Saint of the Day – Saint Casimir
