28/05/2024

In the first reading for today we hear some of Peter's preaching, his obedience to "Go out and teach all nations". We are all unique beings and "our minds" are how we know that we are individuals with a personal perception of reality. Peter tells us to free our minds of encumbrances, clear out our brains of unnecessary memories and present activities to allow our souls to become "Holy", a human person focussed on God.

Peter knows that Jesus is the complete revelation that begins in the Old Testament. He is the living "Word of God". The light of eternity here on Earth. He is the "New Song" of today's psalm. He is the new life of the Resurrection. Peter also knows that he has had his sins forgiven by his "friend", the Messiah.

During the three years that Peter had left everything and followed him, Jesus had had some occasions to reprimand him. Peter had never been slow at coming forward and it is in answer to Peter's question that Jesus makes the problematic, for me, answer of today's Gospel.

The "rich young man" had gone sorrowfully away because he was a man of "great wealth" who couldn't bring himself to convert his "holdings" into cash to distribute among the poor. Jesus in today's Gospel seems to speak contrary to what he had said then in that he tells the disciples that what they give up in "this world" will be repaid in "this world" without detriment to "eternal life".

Dear Lord, help me to understand the meaning of the words heard by the Apostles and  reported  by Mark. You know that I am sincerely trying to bring my life into the order that only comes from  doing your will. I can only do this consistently in these minutes of prayer before I begin my day. The sinless Mary from the moment she heard Gabriel's message to the moment she was taken deathlessly from this world knew as no other mortal soul has done your gracious goodness and lives immortally to share with all your saints in the Unseen Church of Love that saves our souls on earth and in purgatory from our sins.