MARY, QUEEN AND MOTHER

Our Lady, Mother and Queen 

 on Tuesday of week 20 in Ordinary Time



First Reading. Judges 6: 11-24

Psalm. 85: 9, 11-14 (R.see9b)

Gospel. Matthew 19: 23-30


TOPIC FOR REFLECTION


JESUS SAID: THE RICH CANNOT ENTER HEAVEN, YET WE ALL WANT TO BECOME RICH (Hmm, What a contradiction)


WHAT JESUS MEANT IS DETACHMENT.


Today, the Church celebrates our Lady, Queen and Mother. 

Remember, before she conceived Jesus, she was never regarded as a Queen, but her FIAT to conceive and give birth to Jesus merited her the title of Queenship and Mother. 


Therefore, our Mother Mary is a very good example of those who left everything to accept to follow Jesus that will never go unrewarded.


She was a rich young girl, but accepted not only to physically journey with Jesus, but carry Jesus both in her womb and in her heart, today she is a queen. 


My dear, tomorrow, you and I can become kings and queens in heaven if we follow Jesus initimately.


Therefore, Jesus in today's Gospel said that it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven...

He went further to say it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 


My dear, I just kept wondering, how most of us want to get rich by all means, in short, it is often part of our prayer point in churches. We often hear many Christians saying this during prayer...


"Lord poverty is not my portion, give me money, I want to be rich, wealthy in other to serve you very well".


The question is, is it not contradictory? Jesus said the rich will not enter heaven, yet we want to become rich, does it mean those of us who wish to become rich do not want to go to heaven?


Well, in my opinion, becoming Rich is not a sin, and not that the rich will not make Heaven. Moreover, money is not the only yardstick of wealth, but your gift/talent, etc. However, if...


1. You get your wealth through ritual, ritual killing, stealing, bribing and corruption, extortion, adjusting your account to suit yourself, etc. Then, know that heaven is not meant for you unless you repent and make restitution.

2. If you do any of the above no 1 to acquire material wealth for yourself, know that heaven is not meant for you unless you repent

3. If you are blessed with a natural endowment, like a gift/talent, but did not share with others nor use it for the benefit of others; it means you will not enter heaven unless you repent.

4. If you are attached to what you have and do not share with others, then heaven is not yours unless you repent.


So, those who are rich with money, material wealth, gift/talent and allow others to benefit from it, will surely enter the kingdom of God. 


Peter asked Jesus, what about us who left everything to follow you?

Jesus replied, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of man shall sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. 


Therefore, what Jesus is emphasizing here is detachment from the world's allurement.

Any form of attachment to the material wealth of this world would distract us from serving God faithfully.

So, we should not allow them to distract us from serving God faithfully. We should be able to serve God better through what He has given to us.


Remember, no one is too rich or poor that will not have something to share with others.


We all are rich in one form or another, and to pride ourselves over any material wealth of this world, shows we are attached to it. 

However, if we live as if what we have is less important, it means we are not attached.


Finally, attachment/love for worldly wealth is hatred for humanity, while less or no attachment/love for material wealth is love for humanity.


Please, kindly, watch, observe, and make your research,

Those who value and love money/material wealth, have no genuine love for their fellow human being. While...

Those who genuinely love and value human beings see money and material wealth as nothing.


I encourage us to imitate our Lady, Queen and Mother of the universe, who though was rich, emptied herself and was filled with the greatest wealth in the history of humanity, JESUS.


Peace ✌️ be with you.


Rev. Fr. Segun Oladeji, CRS.

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