For He Had Many Possessions

This weekend, I have been dog-sitting in Woodside, Queens.

To be specific, I've been chillaxin' with the famous blogging chihuahua while the God Googler and wife are in Buffalo.

This morning, I went to the well-attended 10:30 a.m. Mass in English at Saint Sebastian's, the huge church in the shadow of the 7 train elevated line.

The Gospel at Mass made me feel good about my lackluster credit rating.

From Mark Chapter 10:

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother."

He replied and said to him, "Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth."

Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, "You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."

At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!"

The disciples were amazed at his words.

So Jesus again said to them in reply, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."

They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, "Then who can be saved?"

Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God."

Peter began to say to him, "We have given up everything and followed you."

Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come."

Deacon Greg, another Queens resident, has posted his excellent homily for this Sunday. In the homily, he notes the canonizations this morning in Rome of Little Sisters of the Poor foundress Jeanne Jugan and Father Damien of Molokai.

Fran has a post on this Gospel passage, too.

The "eye of the needle" image above is from A Concord Pastor.