EXPLORE THE SUNDAY GOSPEL
The Rich Man
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."
MEET OUR EXTENDED FAMILY
Bl. Adílio Daronch (Feast Day May 21)
October 25, 1908 - May 21, 1924
Blessed Adílio Daronch was a Catholic teenager. He was born to Italian immigrants as the third of eight children and lived his entire life in Brazil. He was known to have had a love for football and riding. He became a dedicated altar server following the reception of his First Communion and often accompanied the priest Blessed Manuel Gómez González on his long missions of evangelization to the Kaingang Indians.
In 1924, the Bishop of Santa Maria asked Fr. Manuel to go to the Teutonic colonies in the forest in the south, so Fr. Manuel decided to take Daronch with him. The pair stopped in Palmeria to administer the sacraments where Fr. Manuel exhorted the local revolutionaries to practice mutual respect and forgiveness. But the extremists took a strong dislike to this and grew incensed when he provided a burial for some of their own. The extremists viewed the pair with suspicion and plotted to kill them for this.
The locals warned the two not to go into the forest for they would be at risk. The pair was ambushed in the morning on May 21 and shot dead. Both were beatified in October of 2007 in Brazil. Daronch was made the co-patron for World Youth Day 2012 and 2013.
TAKE TIME TO CHAT
· Imagine you are the man in today’s Gospel story. Close your eyes and imagine Jesus looking at you with love and stay in his gaze for a few moments. Share your experience.
· Jesus says that it is hard for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God. Sometimes, those whose earthly needs are satisfied become comfortable and self-reliant. Why is this an obstacle to entering the kingdom?
· The Rich Man was asked to give up his possessions. What are you willing to give up in order to focus more on God?
· Bl. Adílio Daronch served God as an altar server and a helper to his priest. What are some ways you can serve God today?
FAMILY FUN
Puzzles
In today’s Gospel, Jesus asked the Rich Man to give up his possessions. Consider giving up technology for the evening and spending time doing a jigsaw puzzle together as a family.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Chicken Piccata
This dish is rich in flavor!
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¼ cup + 1 ½ Tbsp. flour (divided)
1 ½ tsp. chicken bouillon
2 Tbsp. olive oil
½ cup cooking wine
Juice of one lemon (or ¼ cup)
½ cup chicken stock
2 Tbsp. capers
2 Tbsp. chopped, fresh parsley
1 lb. cooked pasta
Pound chicken to ¼ inch thickness. Mix ¼ cup flour with salt and pepper to taste. Coat chicken with flour mixture. Cook chicken in olive oil in skillet on med-high about 4 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove chicken. Lower heat to medium and add butter & 1 ½ Tbsp. flour. Stir until smooth. Stir in wine, lemon juice, stock, & bouillon (if granules, dissolve in 2 Tbsp. water). Scrape up the brown bits from skillet. Simmer 2 minutes. Return chicken to skillet and simmer for 5 minutes. Add capers & parsley. Serve over pasta.
FAMILY PRAYER
Litany of Trust
Pray this prayer as a family to increase your trust in the words of today’s Gospel.
The
response to each of the following is Deliver me, Jesus.
From the belief that I have to earn your love
From the fear that I am unlovable
From the false security that I have what it takes
From the fear that trusting you will leave me more destitute
From all suspicion of your words and promises
From the rebellion against childlike dependency on you
From refusals and reluctances in accepting your will
From anxiety about the future
From resentment or excessive preoccupation with the past
From restless self-seeking in the present moment
From disbelief in your love and presence
From the fear of being asked to give more than I have
From the belief that my life has no meaning or worth
From the fear of what love demands
From
discouragement
The
response to each of the following is Jesus, I trust in You.
That you are continually holding me, sustaining me, loving me
That your love goes deeper than my sins and failings and transforms me
That not knowing what tomorrow brings is an invitation to lean on you
That you are with me in my suffering
That my suffering, united to your own, will bear fruit in this life and the next
That you will not leave me orphan, that you are present in your Church
That your plan is better than anything else
That you always hear me and in your goodness always respond to me
That you give me the grace to accept forgiveness and to forgive others
That you give me all the strength I need for what is asked
That my life is a gift
That you will teach me to trust you
That you are my Lord and my God
That I am Your beloved one
Written by Sr. Faustina Maria Pia, SV; Sisters of Life (www.sistersoflife.org)
LITURGY LINK
Altar servers assist the priest during Mass. What are some things they do?
FAMILY CHALLENGE
This week clean out your closets and garage and donate gently used items to good will.
FUN FACTS
Some claim that Jerusalem's city wall had a narrow gate known as the "eye of the needle." The size of the gate made it impossible for a fully loaded camel to pass through it. The animal would have to be fully unloaded or walk on its knees, in a vulnerable position, in order to get through the opening.
