20TH MONDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Matthew 19:16-22) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
- NHA CHUA CHA
- Aug 20
- 5 min read
FIRST READING - Judg 2:11-19
"The Lord raised up judges to save them from the power of their plunderers; 17 but they did not listen to their judges."
A reading from the Book of Judges
11 the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They served the Baals,[a] 12 and abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, the one who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods, the gods of the peoples around them, and bowed down to them, and provoked the Lord.
13 Because they had abandoned the Lord and served Baal and the Astartes,[b] 14 the anger of the Lord flared up against Israel, and he delivered them into the power of plunderers who despoiled them. He sold them into the power of the enemies around them, and they were no longer able to withstand their enemies. 15 Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord turned against them, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn to them; and they were in great distress. 16 But the Lord raised up judges to save them from the power of their plunderers; 17 but they did not listen to their judges either, for they prostituted themselves by following other gods, bowing down to them. They were quick to stray from the way their ancestors had taken, who obeyed the commandments of the Lord; but these did not. 18 When the Lord raised up judges for them, he would be with the judge and save them from the power of their enemies as long as the judge lived. The Lord would change his mind when they groaned in their affliction under their oppressors. 19 But when the judge died, they would again do worse than their ancestors, following other gods, serving and bowing down to them, relinquishing none of their evil practices or stubborn ways.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Mt 19:16-22
"If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and you will have treasure in heaven."
✠From the Gospel according to Matthew
16 Now someone approached him and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?”[a] 17 He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good.[b] If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 [c]He asked him, “Which ones?” And Jesus replied, “ ‘You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; 19 honor your father and your mother’; and ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” 20 [d]The young man said to him, “All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect,[e] go, sell what you have and give to [the] poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
20TH MONDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Matthew 19:16-22)
THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
Dear People of God,
In today’s Word of God, God invites His children to live out His Word from within their hearts, allowing it to be expressed outwardly—not merely spoken with the lips. All who come to God must believe in and practice His Word in absolute obedience to God the Father. If even a small part remains unpracticed according to His teachings, it cannot be considered absolute. Therefore, all who desire to share the happiness of the Kingdom of Heaven with God the Father must live in complete accord with His teachings. For in the Kingdom of Heaven, where God reigns, there is absolute eternal happiness, absolute light, with no trace of darkness. Therefore, while still living on this earth, create every opportunity to purify your soul and body.
Today's Word of God warns people that if they only practice God's Word partially, it is not enough, but they must practice God's Word absolutely, according to God's invitation to that young man. If they want to enjoy happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven, they must do exactly what God the Father teaches, not do it according to their own will, thinking that "If we do so, it is sufficient and pleasing to God." It is not so! Only God the Father is absolute, and only He can teach humanity how to attain true happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, everyone must remain humble and lower themselves in obedience, practicing according to His Word.
According to human thinking, the young man believed he was practicing the commandments of God the Father by not committing adultery, not stealing, honoring his father and mother, and loving his neighbor as himself. However, there was one thing he could not give up—worldly material goods.
What are worldly material goods? They are merely possessions that God the Father provides to serve human needs. They must not be exalted above all else, nor regarded as the ultimate purpose of life. If anyone worships material things—constantly striving to acquire them and idolize them—then that person is going astray. He is not following the true purpose to which God the Father has called him, which is to seek the Kingdom of Heaven.
Today's Word of God invites everyone:
To give up the material things of this world to follow God and live a perfect life every day of our lives.
To worship God alone above all things and to love our fellow human beings. That is to have charity and forgiveness; to love, forgive, be humble and self-effacing; to put the work of God the Father above all things, to worship God the Father with all our beings, and to show love to our brothers and sisters.
-Do not be foolish like the young man who rejected the Word of God when God the Father invited him to sell all his possessions and follow Him. Instead of following God the Father, he turned away in pursuit of worldly material possessions.
God does not desire His children to fall into Satan’s trap, as the young man did. For material wealth in this world does not lead to life in the Kingdom of Heaven; it is merely temporary and passing. Therefore, choose wisely to put God's Word into practice, for it is this that brings true and eternal happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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