Judges 6:11-24
Matthew 19:23-30
Hail Mary! Our Lady, Mother and Queen
Today the Church celebrates the Blessed Mother as the Queen and Mother of all the saints in our time and in the new age to come. By her immaculate conception, she became the Mother of all and the new ark of the covenant. As the new Eve, she became the perfect instrument of faith and obedience. Throughout her entire life, she made a free choice of perfect cooperation with God’s divine plan. Although, she is being glorified yet her work with humanity is not finished. Through her, the Lord continues to speak peace to His people, especially in her apparitions.
In today’s first reading, we have Gideon and his call to be a Champion of Israel against the Midianites. He is cajoled to set aside his doubts and hesitation, avoid fear and trust in the presence and power of God who is with him.
While in today’s gospel, we have one of the teachings we wish Jesus would retract, surely this is one, way up in the A-list. To hear Jesus proclaim that it would be “easier for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye” than for a rich man or woman to set foot in the kingdom of God strikes us as both ridiculous and provocative, especially in a culture that idolizes wealth and material possessions and teaches us to measure the meaning and success of our lives in light of them.
By extension, it means, becoming detached from many things in order to be wholeheartedly attached to God. When we follow Jesus wholeheartedly we gain optimal peace of mind. What is it that dominates your heart, God or material possessions? What do we love more than anything else and most fear losing?
In every instance therefore , we are invited to understand how God chooses those whom we might consider to be insignificant people to bring the divine plan to fruition. We are to listen well to the encouragement we receive in our scriptures today: to Gideon, “…go with strength…I will be with you…”; to the disciples, “Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first”; to Israel in darkness hoping for light, and to Mary, “…for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Fr Joseph Osho
