Being Rich in Christ!

The gospel acclamation for Mass this morning came from the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians, "Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich so that by his poverty you might become rich." This goes along with the gospel for today, Matthew 19:23-30, where Jesus says, "It will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven." The gifts and resources that we have here on earth are gifts from God. We cannot become attached to our possessions and we need to be good stewards of the gifts we have received. I might have used this illustration before, but it is one that gives me goosebumps when I think about it. During the funeral Mass for Pope John Paul II, the commentator was talking about the gifts that the Holy Father received from his travels. He mentioned that those gifts had places in the Vatican. In the eyes of the world, Pope John Paul II died a poor man because he had no material items, but today, he is rich. Just think about that! He is rich because of the promise of Jesus Christ. We are saved by our Lord's death and resurrection. As Jesus also says in our gospel after the disciples asked him who can be saved, "For men this is impossible, but for God all things are possible." Our focus needs to be on the prize, eternal life in Jesus Christ. With our faith and belief in Christ, we are truly rich. Have a blessed day!!!