>> A READING FROM THE BOOK OF WISDOM. I PRAYED, AND PRUDENCE WAS GIVEN ME. I PLEADED, AND THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM CAME TO ME. I PREFERRED HER TO SCEPTER AND THRONE, AND DEEMED RICHES NOTHING IN COMPARISON WITH HER, NOR DID I LIKEN ANY PRICELESS GEM TO HER. BECAUSE ALL GOLD, IN VIEW OF HER, IS A LITTLE SAND, AND BEFORE HER, SILVER IS TO BE ACCOUNTED MIRE. BEYOND HEALTH AND COMELINESS I LOVED HER, AND I CHOSE TO HAVE HER RATHER THAN THE LIGHT, BECAUSE THE SPLENDOR OF HER NEVER YIELDS TO SLEEP. YET ALL GOOD THINGS TOGETHER CAME TO ME IN HER COMPANY, AND COUNTLESS RICHES AT HER HANDS. THE WORD OF THE LORD. >> THANKS BE TO GOD. >> ♪ FILL US WITH YOUR LOVE, O LORD, AND WE WILL SING FOR JOY ♪ >> ♪ FILL US WITH YOUR LOVE, O LORD, AND WE WILL SING FOR JOY ♪ >> ♪ TEACH US TO NUMBER OUR DAYS ARIGHT, THAT WE MAY GAIN WISDOM OF HEART ♪ RETURN, O LORD! HOW LONG? ♪ HAVE PITY ON YOUR SERVANTS ♪ >> ♪ FILL US WITH YOUR LOVE, O LORD, AND WE WILL SING FOR JOY ♪ >> ♪ FILL US AT DAYBREAK WITH YOUR KINDNESS, THAT WE MAY SHOUT FOR JOY AND GLADNESS ALL OUR DAYS ♪ ♪ MAKE US GLAD, FOR THE DAYS WHEN YOU AFFLICTED US, FOR THE YEARS WHEN WE SAW EVIL ♪ >> ♪ FILL US WITH YOUR LOVE, O LORD, AND WE WILL SING FOR JOY ♪ >> ♪ LET YOUR WORK BE SEEN BY YOUR SERVANTS AND YOUR GLORY BY THEIR CHILDREN, AND MAY THE GRACIOUS CARE OF THE LORD OUR GOD BE OURS, PROSPER THE WORK OF OUR HANDS FOR US ♪ ♪ PROSPER THE WORK OF OUR HANDS ♪ >> ♪ FILL US WITH YOUR LOVE, O LORD, AND WE WILL SING FOR JOY ♪ >> A READING FROM THE BOOK OF HEBREWS. BROTHERS AND SISTERS, INDEED THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND EFFECTIVE, SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD, PENETRATING EVEN BETWEEN SOUL AND SPIRIT, JOINTS AND MARROW, AND ABLE TO DISCERN REFLECTIONS AND THOUGHTS OF THE HEART. NO CREATURE IS CONCEALED FROM HIM, BUT EVERYTHING IS NAKED AND EXPOSED TO THE EYES OF HIM TO WHOM WE MUST RENDER AN ACCOUNT. THE WORD OF THE LORD. >> THANKS BE TO GOD. >> ♪ ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ♪ >> ♪ ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ♪ >> ♪ BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT, FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN ♪ >> ♪ ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ♪ >> FATHER: ♪ DOMINUS VOBISCUM ♪ >> ♪ ET CUM SPIRITU TUO ♪ >> FATHER: ♪ LECTIO SANCTI EVANGELII SECUNDUM MARCUM ♪ >> ♪ GLORIA TIBI, DOMINE ♪ >> FATHER: 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." ♪ VERBUM DOMINI ♪ >> ♪ LAUS TIBI, CHRISTE ♪ >> Father: ETERNAL LIFE, THE QUESTION BY A MAN WHO RAN TO JESUS AND KNELT BEFORE HIM. HE ASKED, WHAT MUST HE DO TO INHERENT ETERNAL LIFE. THIS DESIRE WITHIN HIS HEART RESIDES WITHIN EACH OF OUR HEARTS REGARDLESS OF WHO WE ARE. WHETHER WE ARE CATHOLICS OR NOT, WHETHER WE ARE BAPTIZED OR NOT, WHETHER WE ARE RICH OR POOR, OR SINGLE, MARRIED, WIDOWED, PRIEST, RELIGIOUS OR WHETHER WE ARE YOUNG OR OLD, EVERY ONE WITHOUT EXCEPTION HAS THIS DESIRE IN HIS OR HER HEART; THAT IS, THE DESIRE FOR ETERNAL LIFE. AND PRIESTS AND RELIGIOUS MAKE THIS PUBLIC, BOLD STATEMENT, RECENTLY, FATHER MARK AND FATHER DOMINIC CELEBRATED A SILVER JUBILEE. AND THEY RENEW THEIR PERPETUAL PROFESSION FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES, THEIR PROMISE, THEIR VOWS TO THEIR LIFE AS A WITNESS. THEY HAVE THE DESIRE AND ALL OF US HAVE DESIRE FOR ETERNAL LIFE AFTER THIS EARTHLY LIFE. AND THIS LIFE IS REALLY SHORT COMPARED TO ETERNAL LIFE. AND THE LIFE IS WITHIN AND WE RESPOND TO BEAR WITNESS TO IT. AND CATHOLICS AND OTHER BELIEVERS IN CHRIST MAKE THIS BOLD STATEMENT TOO ABOUT ETERNAL LIFE AND YOU DO THIS TOO BY YOUR WITNESS TO ONE ANOTHER. AND YOU MAY SAY IT TO ONE ANOTHER ABOUT THIS REALITY OF ETERNAL LIFE WITH YOUR WORDS. OR YOU MAY SIMPLY LIVE YOUR LIFE BASED ON WHAT IS AHEAD IN THE AFTER LIFE, THE ETERNAL LIFE. AND I DARE SAY THAT THIS IS, TOO, FOR NON BELIEVERS. THOSE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THERE'S LIFE AFTER THIS ONE. THIS IS EVEN TRUE. LOOK AT HUMAN ACTS FOR A MOMENT. HUMAN ACTS OF EATING, RESTING. WE EAT TO STAY ALIVE. WE TAKE MEDICINES WHEN WE ARE SICK TO STAY WELL. AND WE REST SO WE REGAIN OUR STRENGTH. AND WHAT DO WE DO? WE KEEP ON DOING THESE THINGS BECAUSE WE WANT TO KEEP ON LIVING. WE WANT TO KEEP ON LIVING, JUST THESE LITTLE ACTS THAT WE REPEAT AGAIN AND AGAIN. IT'S SO BASIC THAT WE DON'T THINK MUCH OF IT. YET, ACTUALLY IT'S A GLIMPSE, A REFLECTION OF THIS INNATE DESIRE TO BE ALIVE FOREVER. WE ALL WANT TO LIVE FOREVER. WE WANT ETERNAL LIFE. HERE'S THE QUESTION. WHAT IS ETERNAL LIFE? WHAT IS LIFE EVERLASTING. THIS IS COME THE COMPENDIUM. ETERNAL LIFE IS THAT LIFE WHICH BEGINS IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEATH. IT WILL HAVE NO END. IT WILL BE PROCEEDED BY EACH PERSON BY A PARTICULAR JUDGMENT AT THE HANDS OF CHRIST WHO IS THE JUDGE OF THE LIVING AND THE DEAD. AND THIS PARTICULAR JUDGMENT IS CONFIRMED IN THE FINAL JUDGMENT. YOU KNOW, WE DON'T THINK MUCH OF IT. OFTEN, WE DON'T THINK AT ALL. EXCEPT WHEN WE CONSIDER SOMETHING LIKE THIS, ETERNAL LIFE OR GO TO SOMEBODY'S FUNERAL. AND THEN WE THINK OF THE BASIC DESIRES OF OUR LIFE. SO, THIS MAN GOING BACK TO THIS MAN, HE RAN UP, KNELT BEFORE JESUS. AND IN A WAY, HE WANTS THIS HOW TO DO BOOK FOR ETERNAL LIFE. WE'RE FAMILIAR, RIGHT? WE GO TO THE BOOK STORES AND THERE'S A SECTION OF HOW-TO, HOW-TO, AND HE HAS THIS DESIRE. HOW DO I GAIN ETERNAL LIFE? WHAT MUST I DO TO GAIN ETERNAL LIFE, INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE. HE KNEW GOD'S COMMANDMENTS AND IT'S ESSENTIAL. NOT JUST ESSENTIAL FOR HIM BUT FOR ALL, EVERY SINGLE LIFE CREATED, BELIEVERS OR NON BELIEVERS, TOO. AND WITHOUT KEEPING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, HE KNEW HE WOULD NOT INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE. DEEP WITHIN HIS HEART, HE ALSO KNEW THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE. SOMETHING ELSE. THAT'S WHY HE RAN TO JESUS AND KNELT AND ASKED THE QUESTION, WHAT MUST I DO TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE. SO, HE HAS BASIC NATURAL WISDOM. HE KNEW ALSO, DEEP WITHIN HIS HEART THAT THERE WAS GREATER WISDOM THAN NATURAL WISDOM. SO, HE APPROACHED JESUS WHO IS TRULY THE ETERNAL WORD MADE FLESH, ETERNAL WISDOM INCARNATE. THIS IS WHAT SAINT LOUIS DE MONTFORT OFTEN REMEMBERED TO OUR LORD, THE ETERNAL WORD WISDOM INCARNATE. AND THEN JESUS GAVE HIM THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION THAT WAS DEEP IN HIS HEART. HE GAVE A PRACTICAL ANSWER ABOUT THE ONE THING THAT HE LACKS. HE HAS MANY THINGS, MANY POSSESSIONS. HE SAID, SELL WHAT YOU HAVE AND GIVE TO THE POOR SO THAT YOU MAY STORE TREASURE IN HEAVEN IN THE AFTER LIFE AND FOLLOW ME. FOLLOW ME. SO, KEEPING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF GOD IS THE BASIC TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE. THEY ARE NOT 10 SUGGESTIONS. 10 SUGGESTIONS THAT WE CAN JUST PICK, CHOOSE, AND SAY, OH, THIS IS SUGGESTED. AND THEN, IF WE OBSERVE IT, THEN WE'RE GOOD. NO, NO, IT'S THE COMMANDMENTS. AND THEN THERE'S A SPECIFIC CALL THAT GOD PUTS IN OUR HEART IN ADDITIONS TO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. ANSWERING GOD'S CALL. ANSWERING GOD'S CALL AND ANSWERING HIS WILL FOR US IN LIFE IS TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE. SO, YOU SEE, THE DEVIL KNOWS GOD EXISTS. HE KNOWS GOD IS REAL. HE KNOWS THAT THERE IS LIFE AFTER THIS EARTHLY LIFE. HE KNOWS THAT. HE KNOWS THAT THERE IS SUCH A THING AS ETERNAL, ETERNAL LIFE. BUT HE CHOSE NOT TO SERVE GOD, NOT TO ACCEPT THE PLAN OF GOD. THAT'S WHY HIS MOTTO IS NON SERVEIUM. I WILL NOT SERVE. THAT'S A PRESCRIPTION, NOT FOR ETERNAL LIFE BUT FOR ETERNAL DAMNATION. SO, HE'S JEALOUS WITH US. AND SO, HE'S JEALOUS WITH US. HE WORKS 24/7 WITHOUT SLEEP IN TRYING TO GET US TO LOSE ETERNAL LIFE BECAUSE THEY LOST IT FOREVER. AND THE LORD HAS DIED AND ROSE AGAIN FOR OUR SAKE, THAT ETERNAL LIFE BE AVAILABLE TO ALL OF US. IF WE WANT IT, WE CHOOSE IT, AND WE FOLLOW OUR LORD'S COMMANDS AND WILL. JESUS AND OUR BLESSED MOTHER AND ALL OF THE SAINTS HAVE ALL SAID TO THE FATHER, I WILL SERVE. I WILL SERVE. I WILL DO WHAT THE FATHER HAS CALLED ME TO DO AND SO MUST WE RESPOND TO THE SAME WAY, TO THE HEAVENLY FATHER. YES, I WILL SERVE. BE IT DONE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD, PLAN, TO YOUR MOST HOLY WILL. BESIDES THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, BESIDES RESPONDING TO GOD'S CALL THAN JUST TO LIVE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, THERE IS THE FOLLOWING OF JESUS. THIS MAN OBSERVED THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. AND HE OBSERVED THE TEN COMMANDMENTS -- WELL, REFERRING TO OUR LORD. JUST FOCUS ON OUR LORD FOR A MOMENT. HE OBSERVED THE TEN COMMANDMENTS HIMSELF ON EARTH. HE RESPONDED TO THE FATHER'S CALL. WHAT IS THE FATHER'S CALL? IT IS TO BECOME LIKE US. HE IS THE ETERNAL WORD. HE IS GOD HIMSELF. SO, HE RESPONDED TO THE FATHER'S CALL TO BECOME LIKE US IN ALL THINGS EXCEPT SIN. AND PART OF THAT, HE ALSO ACCEPTED THE BITTERNESS OF LIFE. THE TRIALS OF LIFE, THE CROSSES OF LIFE. THE HARDSHIPS OF LIFE. HE ACCEPTED THAT FOR THE LOVE OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, SALVATION. AND FOR THE SALVATION OF MANKIND. SO, I JUST GAVE YOU THREE POINTS. TEN COMMANDMENTS, DOING THE LAMB WILL OF GOD, AND THE THIRD ONE ACCEPT WHAT GOD PERMITS. RIGHT? THIS THIRD ONE IS NOT ALWAYS EASY. THE THIRD ONE IS THE MOST DIFFICULT BECAUSE IT'S TOTALLY AGAINST OUR HUMAN NATURE. YOU KNOW, WE DON'T LIKE TO SUFFER. WE DON'T LIKE DISCOMFORT. WE DON'T LIKE PAIN. IT'S AGAINST OUR HUMAN NATURE AND OUR LORD HIMSELF EXPERIENCED IT IN THE GARDEN. HE HIMSELF DID NOT WANT TO GO THROUGH HIS PASSION AND DEATH. HE IS TRUE MAN. HE DID NOT WANT TO GO THROUGH IT. JUST LIKE WE DON'T WANT TO GO THROUGH HARDSHIPS IN LIFE. BUT HE ACCEPTED THE FATHER'S PLAN FOR HIM WHICH IS THE FATHER'S PERMITTING WILL, TO BE CRUCIFIED AND TO DIE. THAT'S VERY HARD. THAT'S EXTREMELY VERY PAINFUL. THAT COST HIM HIS LIFE. AND YET, THE MOST DIFFICULT THING HE HAD TO GO THROUGH IN HIS LIFE, THAT IS, HIS PASSION AND DEATH, WAS FOR THE PURPOSE TO ENABLE ALL OF US AND ALL MANKIND TO GAIN ETERNAL LIFE, TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE AND IT IS FOR THOSE WHO ACCEPT HIS PLAN, AND FOR THOSE WHO KEEP GOD'S TEN COMMANDMENTS. IT'S TRUE, WE'VE ALL FALLEN SHORT IN KEEPING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. IT'S TRUE, THAT WE'VE ALL FALLEN SHORT IN DOING THE WILL OF GOD. IT'S TRUE THAT WE'VE ALL REBELLED AND EVEN REJECTED FROM ACCEPTING OUR OWN PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES, THE DIFFICULTIES, HARDSHIPS, TRIALS OF LIFE WHICH WE TEND TO NOT WANT TO ACCEPT AND EMBRACE THESE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD AND FOR SOULS IN ETERNAL LIFE. IT'S TRUE. WE'VE ALL DONE THAT. GOD'S MERCY ENDURES FOREVER. HE'S ALWAYS READY TO FORGIVE, ALWAYS READY TO HELP US BEGIN AGAIN SO THAT WE WOULD BE BACK ON THAT SAFE ROAD AND SAFE JOURNEY TOWARD ETERNAL LIFE. AS ONE PRIEST ONCE SAID, GOD IS CONSTANTLY RECALCULATING, WHAT, LIKE, WHAT GPS DOES. YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE PASS THE TURN, MISS A STOP OR WHATEVER, WE'RE FOLLOWING THE GPS, GOOGLE MAPS OR WHATEVER YOU USE. AND WHEN YOU PASS IT, IT SAYS, WE'RE RECALCULATING, RECALCULATING, RECALCULATING. WHY IS IT RECALCULATING? TO GET US BACK ON THAT DESTINATION, WHERE WE ARE TRYING TO GO. YEAH, THERE'S NOT JUST ONE WAY TO GET THERE, THERE'S MULTIPLE WAYS AND THAT'S WHY THERE'S A RECALCULATION. SO, WHEN WE MAKE A BAD MOVE IN LIFE, A BAD DECISION, GOD IS RECALCULATING. AND NOW, MAYBE NOT THE SAME ROAD BUT IT'S A DIFFERENT ANGLE, TO GET US TO THE SAFE ROAD THAT WILL LEAD US TO ETERNAL LIFE. AND THE ONLY TWO PEOPLE THAT HE NEVER HAD TO RECALCULATE ARE JESUS AND MARY. BECAUSE THEY BOTH PERFECTLY KEPT THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD. THEY BOTH PERFECTLY DO THE WILL OF GOD AND BOTH PERFECTLY AND PATIENTLY ACCEPTED THE TRIALS OF LIFE AND IT WAS FOR THE LOVE OF GOD AND FOR THE LOVE OF SOULS. SHORTLY, WE'LL PROFESS WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT ETERNAL LIFE. WE WILL PROFESS OUR BELIEF IN THE LIFE OF THE WORLD TO COME WHEN WE PRAY THE NICEAN CREED. WE PRAY TO WORTHILY RECEIVE THE BREAD OF LIFE, THE SOURCE OF ETERNAL LIFE. SO, WE ASK OUR LADY AND ST. JOSEPH, AND OUR SAINTS, GUARDIAN ANGELS, TO HELP US AND TO RECEIVE THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST WITH PROPER DISPOSITION, AND THAT WE MAY BE KEPT SAFE FOR ETERNAL LIFE.
