Signs of Life Eternal

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today present an attitude of trust in God and the Way we have experienced to bring fullness of life to our journey.

Signs of Fullness of Life

In the Reading from Ezekiel the Prophet presents a Sign for the Exiles.

* [24:17] The bread of mourners: a post-burial meal that mourners shared to comfort one another; cf. 2 Sm 3:35; Jer 16:7. The other gestures mentioned here were also popular mourning customs. Because Ezekiel does not observe any of the mourning customs mentioned, the people are puzzled and ask him to explain.

* [24:22–24] The fall of the city will be so sudden and final that the exiles will have no time to go into mourning. (Ezekiel, CHAPTER 24 | USCCB, n.d.)

The response from Deuteronomy declares false worship brings destruction at the hands of a foreign invader.

* [32:21] “No-god”…“no-people”: worship of the gods of the nations brings destruction at the hands of a foreign invader. A false god cannot sustain or protect (cf. Jer 14:22); and though the nations seem “foolish” (see their characterization in such passages as Ps 114:1; Is 28:11; 33:19), they will prove to be anything but nonentities when the Lord stirs them up against Israel (Is 9:10–12). For the “no-” or “not-” construction, see Hos 1:6, 9; 2:1, 25. (Deuteronomy, CHAPTER 32 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus responds to the question of The Rich Young Man.

* [19:16] Gain eternal life: this is equivalent to “entering into life” (Mt 19:17) and “being saved” (Mt 19:25); the life is that of the new age after the final judgment (see Mt 25:46). It probably is also equivalent here to “entering the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 19:23) or “the kingdom of God” (Mt 19:24), but see notes on Mt 3:2; 4:17; 18:1 for the wider reference of the kingdom in Matthew.

* [19:17] By Matthew’s reformulation of the Marcan question and reply (Mk 10:17–18) Jesus’ repudiation of the term “good” for himself has been softened. Yet the Marcan assertion that “no one is good but God alone” stands, with only unimportant verbal modification.

* [19:18–19] The first five commandments cited are from the Decalogue (see Ex 20:12–16; Dt 5:16–20). Matthew omits Mark’s “you shall not defraud” (Mk 10:19; see Dt 24:14) and adds Lv 19:18. This combination of commandments of the Decalogue with Lv 19:18 is partially the same as Paul’s enumeration of the demands of Christian morality in Rom 13:9.

* [19:20] Young man: in Matthew alone of the synoptics the questioner is said to be a young man; thus the Marcan “from my youth” (Mk 10:20) is omitted.

* [19:21] If you wish to be perfect: to be perfect is demanded of all Christians; see Mt 5:48. In the case of this man, it involves selling his possessions and giving to the poor; only so can he follow Jesus. (Matthew, CHAPTER 19 | USCCB, n.d.)

Barbara Dilly comments that we often forget that amid our despair, God still blesses us, even as he does in our strength. God can give and God can take away, we are reminded. But demonstration of that kind of power is not the true nature of God. Despite our uncertainties, God’s love, and goodness for us is steady and certain.

What does God want from us in return? It seems to me that the lessons for today tell us that what God wants is loyalty, faithfulness, and commitment. God does not want pride in outward displays of religious piety. God does not want our accomplishments or our attempts to demonstrate perfection. God wants us, however poor in spirit we may be. God wants us to engage in his work on this earth. I pray today that we are all confident enough of the promises of treasures in heaven that we can give of ourselves to those in need. (Dilly, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “Seek the life that endures,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"The Lord said to a certain young man, 'If you would enter life, keep the commandments.' He did not say 'If you would have life' but 'If you would enter life,' defining that life as eternal life. Let us first consider then the love of this life. For this life is loved, whatever its quality - and however troubled it is, however wretched, people are afraid to end it. Hence we should see, we should consider, how much eternal life is to be loved, when this miserable life that must at some time be ended is so loved. Consider, brothers, how much that life is to be loved when it is a life you never end. You love this life, where you work so much, run, are busy, pant. In this busy life the obligations can scarcely be counted: sowing, plowing, working new land, sailing, grinding, cooking, weaving. And after all this hard work your life comes to an end. Look at what you suffer in this wretched life that you so love. And do you think that you will always live and never die? Temples, rocks, marbles, all reinforced by iron and lead, still fall. And a person thinks that he will never die? Learn therefore, brothers, to seek eternal life, when you will not endure these things but will reign with God forever." (excerpt from Sermon 84,1) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Ezekiel did many symbolic actions including dressing like  a refugee fleeing the city, Today when his wife dies, He goes on as if life continued. He is telling Jerusalem that the coming punishment is deserved. They should continue with life. In the Gospel of Matthew, a rich young man asks Jesus how to obtain eternal life. Jesus' response to  give everything you have to the poor is an ask to place our trust in His Providence. Friar Jude reminds us that eternal life is not just checking off our obedience to the Commandments but to convert to God’s life of being good, kind, loving, and merciful.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 19:16-22 comments that every day, Jesus is inviting us into more of his life—more freedom from sin, more reconciliation and healing in our relationships, more generosity toward those who are suffering or marginalized. He offers us treasure beyond what we could ever imagine, but our possessions can keep us from saying yes to his invitation.

Jesus is well aware of what holds us back. We might, like the rich young man, have a comfortable life with ample possessions. Our grip on those resources can make it hard to let go of them and surrender generously to the Lord. But we also might be embracing the false comfort of a pattern of sin or holding onto the “possession” of a long-standing resentment against someone in our lives. Maybe we’ve become comfortable with the status quo.

Today, consider what might be holding you back from following Jesus more closely. Open your heart to him, and let go of it.

“Come, Holy Spirit, and help me to surrender anything that keeps me from following Jesus!” (Meditation on Matthew 19:16-22, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, speaks of the hopeful imagination to which the prophets and God invite us.

The established and dominant culture does not have authentic promises because it seeks to maintain itself. The system has materialistic and self-protecting promises for more money and a better life; it encourages us to consume more and more. It cannot offer a promise which fills and expands the heart beyond itself to the larger world.

God’s promises energize and expand the heart, deepening our capacity for life and our quality of being in this world. They put the authority inside us. This, finally, is the only overcoming of death, the only answer to the absurdity that this time is going to end. That’s what the promises of God do—lead us to the experience of deeper life. The Gospel writers call it resurrection. (Rohr, n.d.)

We live in the tension between the dominant culture aggressively trying to shape our decisions about how to treat our fellow humans and the invitation of Jesus to live for more permanent gains in compassion, love, mercy, care, and concern for our fellow siblings of Jesus.

References

Deuteronomy, CHAPTER 32 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 17, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/deuteronomy/32? 

Dilly, B. (2026, August 17). Daily Reflection August 17, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved August 17, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-august-17-2026 

Ezekiel, CHAPTER 24 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved August 17, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ezekiel/24?15 

Matthew, CHAPTER 19 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 17, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/19? 

Meditation on Matthew 19:16-22. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved August 17, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/08/17/1649078/ 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). The Task of the Prophets. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 17, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-task-of-the-prophets/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Give - and You Will Have Treasure in Heaven. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 17, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Attend to Our Mission

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today alert us to the truth that our fullness of life is achieved to the extent that we attend to the Mission of love and mercy presented to us by the Prince of Peace.

Our Mission

The Reading from the Prophet Baruch declares a Confession of Guilt for the returned exiles.

* [1:15–2:10] This confession of sin is similar to Dn 9:7–14, and echoes ideas from Deuteronomy and Jeremiah; cf. also Neh 9. (Baruch, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 79 is a communal lament following the destruction of Jerusalem.

* [Psalm 79] A communal lament complaining that the nations have defiled the Temple and murdered the holy people, leaving their corpses unburied (Ps 79:1–4). The occasion is probably the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian army in 587 B.C. The people ask how long the withdrawal of divine favor will last (Ps 79:5), pray for action now (Ps 79:6–7), and admit that their own sins have brought about the catastrophe (Ps 79:8–9). They seek to persuade God to act for reasons of honor: the nations who do not call upon the Name are running amok (Ps 79:6); the divine honor is compromised (Ps 79:1, 10, 12); God’s own servants suffer (Ps 79:2–4, 11). (Psalms, PSALM 79, n.d.)

In the Gospel of  Luke, Jesus declares Reproaches to Unrepentant Towns.

* [10:13–16] The call to repentance that is a part of the proclamation of the kingdom brings with it a severe judgment for those who hear it and reject it.

* [10:15] The netherworld: the underworld, the place of the dead (Acts 2:27, 31) here contrasted with heaven; see also note on Mt 11:23. (Luke, CHAPTER 10, n.d.)

Carol Zuegner comments that like the people in the towns that Jesus speaks of, we aren’t paying attention. That attention can spread beyond the formal prayers we say. One of my favorite Jesuit charisms is to find God in all things. That means in the beauty of nature, the sorrow of a friend fighting cancer, the chance to help someone, or offer a smile or a word of encouragement.

We don’t intend to ignore God in all things. We just get wrapped up in things and ourselves. We are tired, sometimes frustrated, worried, uncertain, and afraid. But we can start our day with intention, to pay attention to those small blessings that we all experience but sometimes barely notice. A sip of hot coffee. A friend who is glad to see us. The sunshine or the respite of a cloudy day. We can find God in all things. We just have to pay attention. (Baruch, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Christ speaks through the disciples,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"Christ gives those who love instruction the assurance that whatever is said concerning him by the holy apostles or evangelists is to be received necessarily without any doubt and to be crowned with the words of truth. He who hears them, hears Christ. For the blessed Paul also said, 'You desire proof that Christ is speaking in me' (2 Corinthians 13:3). Christ himself somewhere also said to the holy disciples, 'For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaks in you' (Matthew 10:20). Christ speaks in them by the consubstantial Spirit. If it is true, and plainly it is, that they speak by Christ, how can they err? He affirms that he who does not hear them, does not hear Christ, and that he who rejects them rejects Christ, and with him the Father."(excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 63) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Baruch 1:15-22 comments that we need to yield to the Spirit so that he can use these consequences to soften our hearts. Then we can cooperate with his grace as we cast off our selfish desires and our ways of thinking and acting that go against his word. With the Spirit’s help, we can choose to put away our pride and give the Lord authority over our lives. And when we do, we discover the Spirit’s power to transform us, fill us with his joy, and strengthen us to live in holiness.

I

t’s amazing, isn’t it? Not even our most tragic sins can stop the Lord from loving us. He’s just waiting for us to turn to him in repentance, as Baruch did, so that he can teach us, forgive us, and heal us.

“Jesus, give me a humble and contrite heart so that I can be set free!” (Meditation on Baruch 1:15-22, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler recalls Baruch was likely the secretary of Jeremiah. We hear the exiles recognizing their sinfulness with a penitential liturgy and acceptance that exile was their own fault. Psalm 51 asserts we can’t do it alone. We need the grace of conversion to recognize our needs. Jesus calls a mild curse on the Jewish cities that ignored Him. The pagan cities will be rewarded. Jesus asserts that to be superior they have to surrender. Friar Jude cites the great gifts given Christians and recalls “with great gifts comes great responsibility”, attributed to Uncle Ben as advice to the young Peter Parker, Spiderman. We have an obligation to use our great gifts.

Fr. Mike Schmitz reads from Nehemiah today and we hear about how the hearts of the people of Israel were moved as Ezra reads the book of the law of Moses to them. In our reading of Esther, we have the beginning of the crisis that will unfold throughout the book as Haman, backed by the king, seeks to destroy the Jews. Today’s readings are Nehemiah 8, Esther 3 and 13, and Proverbs 21:5-8.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, explores how Francis of Assisi understood the meaning of words like “sin” and “penance”.

Francis’ phrase, “left the world,” didn’t mean leaving creation. It meant leaving what we might call the “system.” Francis left business as usual, and he began an alternative lifestyle, which at that time was called “a life of penance” or abandoning the system. He decided to focus on alleviating the needs and the suffering of others instead of self-advancement. Most of our decisions are usually based on personal, egoic preference and choice. This is the life that we are called to “leave,” the self that Jesus says must “die” to fall into our Larger Life or True Self. Freedom for both Jesus and Francis was purely and simply freedom from the self, which is precisely freedom for the world. This is so utterly different than our Western notion of freedom. In order to be free for a full and authentic life, we must quite simply be free from our smaller selves. 

Francis knew that Jesus was not at all interested in the usual “sin management” task that many clergy seem to think is their job. He saw that Jesus was neither surprised nor upset at what we usually call sin. Jesus was upset at human pain and suffering. What else do all the healing stories mean? They are half of the Gospels! Jesus did not focus on sin. Jesus went where the pain was. Wherever he found human pain, there he went, there he touched, and there he healed.  (Rohr, n.d.)

We implore the guidance of the Spirit as we contemplate the action that aligns us with the Mission we acquire in our Baptismal Anointing as priest, prophet, and leader.

References

Baruch, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 3, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/baruch/1?15 

Luke, CHAPTER 10. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 3, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/10?13 

Meditation on Baruch 1:15-22. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved October 3, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/10/03/1399938/ 

Psalms, PSALM 79. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 3, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/79?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Freedom for a Fuller Life. CAC.org. Retrieved October 3, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/freedom-for-a-fuller-life/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). He Who Hears You Hears Me. Daily Scripture Net. Retrieved October 3, 2028, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=oct3 

Zuegner, C. (2025, October 3). Daily Reflection October 3, 2025 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved October 3, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-october-3-2025