Good News Reflection
Tuesday of the 8th Week in Ordinary Time
May 29, 2007
Today's Readings: Sirach 35:1-12Ps 50:5-8, 14, 23Mark 10:28-31http://www.usccb.org/nab/052907.shtml

Giving up everything to follow Jesus
=======================================
When Ralph and I moved our family from New Jersey to Florida at the end of 1994,we left behind many friends, a great parish in which we were deeply involved,my staff position as Coordinator of Adult Education, and the beginnings of theNew Jersey version of Good News Ministries. It didn't make sense to us or toanyone we knew that God would want us to leave all that behind. The discernmentprocess lasted many months.Following Jesus doesn't always make sense, but that's what makes holiness agreat adventure!

We followed him to Florida, but we didn't understand why heled us here until 30 days after we arrived. That's when we met a priest and aready-made team of volunteers who'd been asking God to supply leaders who couldlaunch Good News Ministries of Tampa Bay.The words of today's Gospel reading came to mind.

Whenever God asks us to give up something, he replaces it with blessings that amount to "a hundred times more," i.e., more than we can imagine. Hedoes this when we give up money and other material possessions for the sake ofserving his kingdom. He does this when we give up our ideas of how we shouldspend our time. He does this when we let go of the past in order to move intothe future that he has planned.Why does following Jesus mean giving up everything? Today's first readingexplains it. Giving up what is sinful is a sacrifice that makes peace with God,because it pleases him. Giving up what is good because of loving concern forothers is a sacrifice of praise, because we glorify God the Provider throughour generosity.We don't give these things up in order to "bribe" God to repay us.That's a selfish attitude! Generosity gives homage to the Lord because it meanswe truly love and care about those whom he loves. When we're "not sparingof freewill gifts" we're gladly sharing what he's given us because we knowit will benefit others.What percentage of your income do you put into church collections? This is ameasurement of how well you understand the blessings of being generous.

Are youwithholding donations to the Church or Good News Ministries and other charitiesbecause of a fear that you'll need the money later? What could improve in thelives of others if you sacrificially ignored the self-centered message offear?We grow from letting go. We become more useful to God's kingdom if we dare totrust him when he asks us to give up what we seem to need -- in other words, ifwe choose to follow Jesus and enter into his ways of living and loving.

© 2007 by Terry A. Modica