28th Sunday in Ordinary time

Readings:

Wisdom 7:7-1
Hebrews 4:12-13
Mark 10:17-30

Reflection:

A while back, one of my sons in law, uncovered a fox lair, which was littered at its entry, with the bodies of over a hundred native animals. Owing perhaps to some imprinted memory of harsh winters, the fox had killed and stashed much more food than it could possibly have needed during an Australian winter.

For us, life can be a kind of battle between our search for God and our own selfish desires.  Today’s subject in Mark’s Gospel has already ‘made it’ in terms of financial success.  Like the fox, he has more than he could possibly need.  Unlike the fox, he realises that success has not brought him peace.  So he seeks of Christ a nobler way.

However, what Christ asks of him is more than he is prepared to give. He can’t let go of the trappings of wealth, even though he realises, and Christ reminds him, that they obscure God’s face from him. 

What, then would Christ say to an entire generation that is hooked on acquisition and consumption which, like the fox, never knows when enough is enough? What would Christ say of the damage inflicted by humans upon fellow humans and non-humans alike and upon the very fabric of Planet Earth?  What would he make of ‘prosperity theology’, which conveniently asserts that material wealth is God’s reward for faithfulness to God?

Today’s first and second readings offer us some insights. Paul reminds the Hebrews that ‘the word of God… can judge (our) secret emotions and thoughts’.  God knows what we’re up to; how, individually and collectively as a society, we rationalise our behaviour, how we shy away from our responsibility and put off doing anything about it.   

In our first reading from the Book of Wisdom, we are encouraged to pray for wisdom.  Wisdom is far greater than wealth for ‘..compared with her, all gold is a pinch of sand’. Lord, take off our blinkers and give us wisdom!

Brian Norman has been associated with the Passionists in various ways since he was three weeks old when he squared off with Fr Placid Millay CP over the baptismal font at St Brigid’s, Marrickville.