Daily Readings - Mon Aug 21 2017

First Reading - Judges 2.11-19

¹¹And the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they served the Baals¹²And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had led them away from the land of Egypt. And they followed foreign gods and the gods of the peoples who were living around them, and they adored them. And they provoked the Lord to wrath¹³forsaking him, and serving Baal and Ashtaroth¹⁴And the Lord, having become angry against Israel, delivered them into the hands of plunderers, who seized them and sold them to the enemies that were living on all sides. Neither were they able to withstand their adversaries¹⁵Instead, wherever they wanted to go, the hand of the Lord was upon them, just as he said and just as he swore to them. And they were greatly afflicted¹⁶And the Lord raised up judges, who would free them from the hands of their oppressors. But they were not willing to listen to them¹⁷Fornicating with foreign gods and adoring them, they quickly deserted the way along which their fathers had advanced. And having heard the commandments of the Lord, they did all things to the contrary¹⁸And while the Lord was raising up the judges, in their days, he was moved to mercy, and he listened to the groaning of the afflicted, and he freed them from the slaughter of their oppressors¹⁹But after a judge had died, they turned back, and they were doing much worse things than their fathers had done, following strange gods, serving them, and adoring them. They did not abandon their pursuits and their very stubborn way, by which they were accustomed to walk

Gospel - Matthew 19.16-22

Matthew

Chapter 19

¹⁶And behold, someone approached and said to him, "Good Teacher, what good should I do, so that I may have eternal life?¹⁷And he said to him: "Why do you question me about what is good? One is good: God. But if you wish to enter into life, observe the commandments.¹⁸He said to him, "Which?" And Jesus said: "You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony¹⁹Honor your father and your mother. And, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.²⁰The young man said to him: "All these I have kept from my childhood. What is still lacking for me?²¹Jesus said to him: "If you are willing to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and then you will have treasure in heaven. And come, follow me.²²And when the young man had heard this word, he went away sad, for he had many possessions

Sermon

The first reading from the Book of Judges describes a cycle of sin, repentance, and deliverance among the Israelites. Despite God’s faithfulness and the miracles of their liberation from Egypt, the people repeatedly turned away from the Lord to serve foreign gods. This idolatry provoked God’s anger, leading to their oppression by enemies. Yet, in his mercy, God raised up judges to rescue them, only for the cycle to repeat itself after each judge’s death. The passage reveals the stubbornness of the human heart and the constant need for conversion. In the Gospel, Jesus encounters a young man who asks what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus lists several commandments, and the young man claims to have kept them all. Yet, when Jesus invites him to sell his possessions and follow him, the young man walks away sorrowfully, unable to part with his wealth. This exchange highlights the challenge of detachment and the ultimate test of discipleship: whether we are willing to let go of earthly attachments to follow Christ fully. Both readings invite us to examine our own hearts and lives. Like the Israelites, we often turn to false idols—whether wealth, power, or comfort—instead of trusting in God’s providence. Like the rich young man, we may keep the commandments outwardly but struggle with inward attachment to the things of this world. The readings call us to radical conversion: to let go of what holds us back, to trust in God’s mercy, and to follow him with undivided hearts. True freedom and eternal life are found not in possessions or fleeting pleasures, but in surrendering everything to Christ.