Monday of the Twentieth week in Ordinary Time

Also the Lord’s word came to me, saying, “Son of man, behold, I will take away from you the desire of your eyes with a stroke: yet you shall neither mourn nor weep, neither shall your tears run down. Sigh, but not aloud. Make no mourning for the dead. Bind your headdress on you, and put your shoes on your feet. Don’t cover your lips, and don’t eat mourner’s bread.” So I spoke to the people in the morning; and at evening my wife died. So I did in the morning as I was commanded. The people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things are to us, that you do so?” Then I said to them, “the Lord’s word came to me, saying, ‘Speak to the house of Israel, “Thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pities; and your sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword. You will do as I have done. You won’t cover your lips or eat mourner’s bread. Your turbans will be on your heads, and your shoes on your feet. You won’t mourn or weep; but you will pine away in your iniquities, and moan one toward another. Thus Ezekiel will be a sign to you; according to all that he has done, you will do. When this comes, then you will know that I am the Lord God.’”’”

Of the Rock who became your father, you are unmindful, and have forgotten God who gave you birth. The Lord saw and abhorred, because of the provocation of his sons and his daughters. He said, “I will hide my face from them. I will see what their end will be; for they are a very perverse generation, children in whom is no faithfulness. They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God. They have provoked me to anger with their vanities. I will move them to jealousy with those who are not a people. I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.

Behold, one came to him and said, “Good teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” He said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but one, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder.’ ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ‘You shall not steal.’ ‘You shall not offer false testimony.’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ And, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” The young man said to him, “All these things I have observed from my youth. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when the young man heard the saying, he went away sad, for he was one who had great possessions.