28 May
Tue 		8th Week in Ordinary Time
1 Pt. 1:10-16
Ps. 98:1,2-3ab,3c-4
Mk. 10:28-31
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Yesterday we saw the rich man approach Jesus looking for advice on finding eternal life. He could not accept the challenge of Jesus to give away his material wealth and become, in freedom, a disciple of Jesus. Even the disciples were shocked at what Jesus had to say. Today, they remind Jesus that they have left everything to follow Him. What's in store for them? Jesus tells them that all those (not only these disciples) who have left family, home and property to be with Jesus and His mission, will receive a hundred times more in return in the form of family, home and property - not only in a future life but here in this world. And this, of course, happens when people take the Gospel seriously. For they enter a new family of brothers and sisters whose only concern is the happiness and well-being of each and every one. We see this happening in the case of religious brothers and sisters in community but there is no reason why it should be confined only to them. Why not start creating such a community in my parish? What is the centre of my Christian life: is it the parish church building or the people who go to it?


Help me to understand, Lord, that in life when everybody gives everybody gets.

DAILY OFFERING
Eternal Father, I offer You everything I do this day; my thoughts, words, joys and sufferings. Grant that, vivified by the Holy Spirit and united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, my life this day may be of service to You and to others. I also pray that all those preparing for marriage discover in Sacrament the source of Christ's grace for living a fithful and fruitful love. Amen.

PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH
INTENTION
That Christians may live their faith coherently and so be credible witnesses of the hope of the Gospel
Elaboration

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P R A Y I N G    W I T H    T H E    C H U R C H    

INTENTION : That Christians may live their faith coherently and so be credible witnesses of the hope of the Gospel

That we may live a "coherent faith" that is a faith which produces the testimony of good works is the ecumenical intention of the Holy Father. In the Joint Declaration on the doctrine of justification signed between the Catholic Church and the World Lutheran Federation in 1999 it is stated that "only through grace, by means of faith in Christ and his salvific work, and not through any merit of ours, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit which renews our hearts, enabling us to perform and leading us to good works".

It has to be understood that no human effort is capable of buying salvation. It is fundamentally a gift of God for which we have a duty to respond and co-operate through "faith-in-action" or "practised faith".

Hence, the strengthening of one's inner faith through prayer and the sacraments will assist in the growth of charity which leads us to live the new commandment of love more fervently. Now is the time to look at charity in a new way. It is not a matter of doing the same thing in the same way. It is a time to seek and find new expressions of love for every human being. Then we become "credible witnesses of evangelical hope"



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