Daily Gospel Reflection for August 21, 2018

Today's Gospel: MT 19:23-30 - Memorial of St. Pius X Today’s Gospel is difficult. It challenges. It’s uncomfortable. I’ll go so far as to say that it scares me a little bit. I don’t usually consider myself “rich” but I really am. Materially, I live in relative comfort and security. Spiritually, I’ve been blessed with riches too many to count. Compared to the suffering of so many – physically, spiritually, and relationally - my life is very easy. So today’s warning is just as much for me as it was His disciples. When I am comfortable and safe, when life goes well, it is easy for me to forget that I need a Savior. I forget that it is Jesus who saves me, and not me saving myself. When I’m busy providing for all my material needs, it’s easy to become selfish, and cling to my stuff, and turn away from the poor. When I look for fulfillment in friends and family and possessions, it’s hard to put Jesus first in my life. The Gospel is radical. It’s not a call to prosperity, but to the cross. Here’s the good news: Jesus says, “For men this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” This means that there is hope, even for someone who is rich, even for me. It is going to be hard - but not impossible. It’s possible because of God’s grace, and I need to cooperate with His grace to be saved. In response to today’s Gospel, I'm asking myself: 1) Do I depend on God? 2) What am I willing to sacrifice to respond to the radical call of the Gospel?