August 18, 2026, Tuesday of the 20th Week
Ezekiel 28:1–10; Matthew 19:23–30
H O M I L Y
In the Gospel of yesterday, the man who sought perfection but was not ready to give up his great possessions to follow Jesus went away sad. Jesus took this opportunity to reflect with his disciples on how difficult it is for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. This is difficult because only simple hearts—that is, undivided hearts—can enter the kingdom. The heart of a true disciple cannot be divided between Jesus and anything else. Now, the wealth to which we can become attached—and which can monopolize our heart and prevent it from giving itself totally to God—can take many forms. It may be great material wealth; but this wealth can also be intellectual, such as the thirst to accumulate knowledge. It can be emotional, such as the need to possess another person or the need to be loved by everyone. It can be the need to exercise power over others in a thousand and one ways.