Hear the Word! by Bill Ayres: Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

A reading from the Book of Wisdom
(Chapter 7:7-11)
 
The Book of Wisdom is one of the last books in the Hebrew Bible, compiled not too long before the birth of Jesus. Notice that Wisdom is referred to as “she,” an interesting term in a patriarchal society. The writer imagines the words coming from the mouth of one of Israel’s greatest leaders, King Solomon. Here, Solomon prays for prudence and wisdom which are more precious than gold and silver.
 
Have you ever prayed for wisdom in the midst of a crisis or difficult decision? Have you asked the Holy Spirit, the giver of wisdom, to help you decide or act prudently or boldly in times of distress? Remember, the Spirit is not “out there” somewhere but lives in each of us. That is exactly what Jesus told the disciples, and we have been given that same Spirit. Try being quiet in times of stress or crucial decisions, and pray for the wisdom to make the right choice, to help someone you care about, or to heal wounds that are causing pain.
 
Responsorial Psalm
(Psalm 90:12-13, 14-15, 16-17)
 
“Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy.” That is why we can sing with joy—because God has given us unconditional love, way beyond our imagining. It is rejoicing for receiving such an unimaginable gift.
 
A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews
(Chapter 4:12-13)
 
“Indeed, the word of God is living and effective.” What does the “word of God” mean? We know that Jesus is the “Word of God,” the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, but we also call the Gospels the word of God. Which is it? Perhaps the author, who can be very enigmatic at times, means both. The point the author is making is that God’s word is alive, not a dead set of letters, and it is effective, not like so many words that are just words with no power or deep meaning.
 
Have you ever noticed that words you hear and speak sometimes have a surface meaning but also a deeper meaning that can be heard and known only by the heart?
 
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark
(Chapter 10:17-30)
 
This is the famous and controversial story of the rich young man. Jesus challenges him to take the next step, to follow his call. Jesus is talking to this one man, not proclaiming a universal commandment. He is not condemning the man to hell but giving him an opportunity to have a much richer life as a disciple. Jesus was a poor man living in a society comprising mostly poor people. This man was an exception. We might say today that he was a part of the one percent. Jesus knew how difficult it would be for the man to go beyond his worldly riches. Jesus knew this was a good man: “Jesus, looking at him, loved him.” Imagine that. Jesus looked right at the young man, into his heart, and called him.
 
When we talk today about a calling, we usually mean our profession in life, but each of us has a deeper more wonderful calling to follow Jesus. It does not mean that we all have to sell everything we own but rather not to put material things first. We live in a super-materialistic society, and it is so easy for us to be seduced by products—bigger and better things. We are told that “greed is good,” and many of the richest people in America have power over so many less affluent people. Sometimes the wealthy use that power for good, but sometimes they treat people—especially those who are poor—unfairly, or at least indifferently. Pope Francis asks us to follow the example of Jesus and reach out to those who are the poorest in our society and around the world. One way to do that is to support and volunteer with an organization in our community that is working to help people in need.
 
Excerpts from the English translation of the Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL). All rights reserved.
 
Bill Ayres was a founder, with the late singer Harry Chapin, of WhyHunger. He has been a radio and TV broadcaster for 40 years and has two weekly Sunday-night shows on WPLJ, 95.5 FM in New York. He is a member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport, New York.