Readings:
Ezekiel 28:1-10
Matthew 19:23-30
Reflection:
When I was in primary school, our school had two specific subjects built into its curriculum, which have disappeared in recent times, were Catechism and Value education. One of the stories that I learned is known as “The Folly of Clinging.”
A young boy named Robert wandered into the room where his mother was seated at her desk, writing. He was holding a valuable vase, a cherished gift from her grandmother. Without looking up from her work, she gently reminded him, “Robert, please put the vase down before you drop it and it breaks.”
“I can’t,” Robert replied with a hint of frustration. “My hand is stuck inside.”
His mother, still focused on her writing, responded, “Of course you can, Robert. You managed to get it in, so you can get it out.”
But Robert persisted, “No, Mom, it won’t come out.” The vase had a narrow neck, and although his hand had easily slipped inside, it was now firmly lodged, with his wrist barely visible.
Growing concerned, Robert’s mother called for his father. Calmly, his dad took charge, gently pulling on Robert’s arm, trying to free his hand. He even tried using soapy water to lubricate the vase, but to no avail. Next, he fetched some vegetable oil from the kitchen, pouring it around Robert’s wrist, allowing it to seep into the vase. He wiggled the hand again, but it still wouldn’t budge.
In desperation, Robert’s father sighed, “I’d give a dollar right now to figure out how to get your hand out of that vase.”
“Really?” Robert suddenly exclaimed. They heard a small clinking sound, and to their amazement, Robert’s hand slid right out. Turning the vase upside down, they saw a penny drop out.
“What’s this?” his parents asked in unison.
“Oh, that’s the penny I put inside,” Robert explained. “I was holding onto it tightly, but when I heard Dad say he’d give a dollar, I let it go.”
How often do we cling to things when they are nothing in comparison to what could be ours?
In the Gospel today, Jesus warns against clinging on to temporary things that deny us the possibility of life that’s God’s gift. In life, we often hold tightly to material possessions, status, or relationships, fearing loss or change. These attachments can become barriers, preventing us from experiencing the fullness of life that God offers. We become so fixated on what we have—our comforts, routines, and securities—that we fail to see the greater possibilities that lie beyond them.
By releasing our grip on the temporary, we open ourselves to receive the eternal. What could be ours—peace, joy, fulfilment in God’s love—is infinitely more valuable than the fleeting things we cling to. The question encourages us to reassess what we truly value and to pursue what truly matters.
Giltus Mathias CP, a Passionist at St. Brigid’s Marrickville.