THE DANGER OF RICHES (Homily for Tuesday of the 20th week in the ordinary time )
Theme: The danger of riches Ezekiel 28:1-10; Matthew 19:23-30 A story is told of a man who frequents the daily morning masses in prayer to God for the safe arrival of his goods at the seaport but with the safe arrival of his goods, he becomes absent at morning masses, because he is busy attending to the needs of his business. His riches take precedence over his spiritual life. Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, central to the liturgy of the word today is Jesus' teaching on the danger of riches. In the Gospel pericope that we just heard, Jesus acknowledged that it will be easier for a Carmel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (Mt 19:23-24). The teaching of Jesus does not ostracise the rich from making heaven rather it speaks of the difficulty, danger and hardship, rich people encounter in their struggle to enter the kingdom of God. The word of God says: “Where one's treasure is, there will his heart be also (Mt 6:21). When a...