St. Bernard, abbot & doctor 

＊＊＊1st Reading＊＊＊

Judges 6: 11-24a

The angel of Yahweh (…..) said to him, “Yahweh be with you, valiant warrior.”

Gideon answered, “Please, my lord, if Yahweh is with us, why is all this happening to us? Where are the wonders which our fathers recounted to us?(….) Yahweh then turned to him and said, “ Go, and with your courage save Israel from the Midianites. It is I who send you.” (….)

Then the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the bread; put them on this rock, and pour the broth over them.” Gideon did so. At that moment, the angel of Yahweh extended the staff he was holding and touched the meat and the bread. Suddenly, fire blazed from the rock. The fire consumed the meat and the bread, and the angel of Yahweh disappeared.

Gideon realized that he was the angel of Yahweh and said,” Alas, O Lord Yahweh! I have seen the angel of Yahweh face to face.” But Yahweh said to him, “Peace be with you. Do not fear for you shall not die.” Gideon built an altar to Yahweh in that place and called it Yahweh-peace.

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

 

Matthew 19: 23-30

 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I say to you: it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Yes, believe me: it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for the one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.”

On hearing this the disciples were astonished and said, “Who, then, can be saved?”  Jesus looked at them and answered, “For humans beings it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”Then Peter spoke up and said, “You see we have given up everything to follow you: what then will there be for us ?”

 Jesus answered, “You who have followed me, listen to my words: on the Day of Renew­al, when the Son of Man sits on his throne in glory, you, also, will sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.  As for those who have left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or property for my Name’s sake, they will receive a hundredfold and be given eternal life.  Many who are now first will be last, and many who are now last will be first.

 

Reflection gospel：

“FOR GOD EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE.”

We are afraid to lose something, or some things, that is why we cannot surrender to God’s will. Because once we give it all up, it would mean we would only have God to depend on and would also mean placing our complete trust in him alone-an absolute reliance on his unfailing love. God’s will is demanding. When we cannot let go, when we are dominated by fear, divine power cannot operate in us; God’s grace cannot flow into our life. We are simply cut off from it.

So that all things become possible, an absolute trust in God is necessary. Trust connects us to God’s overflowing love. It conquers fear that weakens and paralyzes us. By trusting God, we allow him to touch our failings, our frailties, and our imperfection, transforming them into something beyond what we can conceive of. By relying on his goodness, we set ourselves on solid ground, never to be shaken by the cares of the world, and by doubt and fear. And by trusting God, we can move mountains.