Dear Parishioners and Friends,

I hope you are doing fine. May the grace and love of God fill your hearts.

As we celebrate this 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Word of God challenges us to reflect deeply on our priorities in life, especially in light of the Gospel’s call to radical discipleship. This Sunday’s readings reveal the tension between material wealth and the pursuit of true wisdom and eternal life. They invite us to examine our hearts and ask ourselves: Where do we place our trust? What truly satisfies us?

Our first reading, from the Book of Wisdom (7:7-11), presents the profound prayer of Solomon, the king renowned for his wisdom. Solomon prayed not for riches, power or long life but for wisdom, knowing that true wisdom comes from God and is more valuable than all the treasures of the earth. He declares, “I preferred her to sceptre and throne, and deemed riches nothing compared to her.” In choosing wisdom over wealth, Solomon reminds us that earthly possessions are fleeting, but the knowledge and understanding that come from God are eternal.

As Christians, we are called to value God’s wisdom above all else. True wisdom is not merely intellectual knowledge; it is the ability to discern God’s will in our lives and to live following His commandments. It is this divine wisdom that helps us to navigate the complexities of life and to choose what is right and just. Solomon’s example challenges us to ask: What do we truly desire? Do we prioritise the wisdom that leads us to God or are we distracted by the pursuit of wealth, success and status?

The Gospel of Mark (10:17-30) brings us face-to-face with one of the most compelling and challenging stories in the New Testament: the encounter between Jesus and the rich young man. The man approaches Jesus with great eagerness, asking, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” This is a question that echoes in the hearts of all of us. It reflects our deepest longing for a life that transcends the limitations of this world, a life that endures forever with God.

Jesus begins by reminding the man of the commandments, which the man proudly claims to have followed from his youth. Yet, Jesus, looking at him with love, goes deeper. He challenges the man: “Go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me” (Mark 10:21). It is here that the man’s heart is truly tested and sadly, he walks away sorrowful, for he had many possessions.

This Gospel passage confronts us with the uncomfortable truth that material wealth, while not evil in itself, can become a major obstacle to our relationship with God. The rich young man’s problem was not simply that he had possessions, but that his heart was too attached to them. His wealth defined him and he found security in it. Jesus calls him and us, to radical detachment – a willingness to let go of anything that hinders our complete surrender to God.

We may not all be asked to literally sell everything we own, but we are all called to examine what holds us back from fully following Christ. What are the “possessions” in our lives that keep us from saying yes to Jesus? It could be wealth, but it could also be pride, fear, ambition or even relationships. Jesus’ invitation is always the same: “Follow me.” To follow Him, we must be free, not bound by the things of this world.

Jesus’ words, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” shocked the disciples (Mark 10:23). In their time, wealth was often seen as a sign of God’s blessing. But Jesus turns this understanding upside down. He makes it clear that wealth can easily become a stumbling block because it fosters self-reliance rather than dependence on God.

The disciples’ astonishment leads Jesus to further emphasise the difficulty: “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:25). This imagery is meant to be striking. Jesus is teaching that entrance into God’s kingdom is not about human achievement or accumulation of wealth but about God’s grace. Salvation is a gift, not something we can buy or earn. “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible” (Mark 10:27).

This is where the Good News enters. While we may struggle with attachments to wealth and earthly things, God’s grace is sufficient. He calls us to trust Him, to place our hope not in riches or human effort, but in His mercy and love. The promise of eternal life is open to all who are willing to follow Jesus with undivided hearts and that requires trusting God more than our possessions.

At the end of the Gospel, Peter speaks up, reminding Jesus that he and the other disciples have left everything to follow Him. Jesus assures Peter and the others that those who leave behind their possessions, families and securities for the sake of the Gospel will receive a hundredfold in return, “now in this age” and in “the age to come, eternal life” (Mark 10:30).

This promise of Jesus is not a prosperity gospel, as some might suggest, but a deeper spiritual truth. Those who follow Christ wholeheartedly will experience the richness of life in community with others, the joy of knowing and serving God and the peace that comes from living in God’s will. And in the life to come, they will share in the fullness of eternal life with God.

As we reflect on this Sunday’s readings, we are called to radical discipleship. This discipleship demands that we recognise the fleeting nature of material wealth and the lasting value of divine wisdom and eternal life. It challenges us to detach from the things that hold us back and to follow Christ with full trust and abandonment.

This message is not easy. It requires constant conversion, humility and the willingness to let go of our attachments. But the reward is great: eternal life with God, a treasure that no wealth on earth can buy.

As we continue our journey in faith, let us ask the Lord for the grace to choose wisdom over wealth, to detach from the things of this world, and to follow Him wherever He leads us. Let us trust in His promise that those who give everything for His sake will receive far more in return, both in this life and in the life to come. Our motto should be detachment from material wealth and attachment to God’s love.

May the Blessed Virgin Mary, who trusted completely in God’s will, intercede for us as we strive to follow Christ with all our hearts.

Amen.