Daily Mass Readings – Tuesday, 22 August 2028

1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

2 Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre: Thus saith the Lord God: Because thy heart is lifted up, and thou hast said: I am God, and I sit in the chair of God in the heart of the sea: whereas thou art a man, and not God: and hast set thy heart as if it were the heart of God.

3 Behold thou art wiser than Daniel: no secret is hid from thee.

4 In thy wisdom and thy understanding thou hast made thyself strong: and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures.

5 By the greatness of thy wisdom, and by thy traffic thou hast increased thy strength: and thy heart is lifted up with thy strength.

6 Therefore, thus saith the Lord God: Because thy heart is lifted up as the heart of God:

7 Therefore behold, I will bring upon thee strangers the strongest of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy beauty.

8 They shall kill thee, and bring thee down: and thou shalt die the death of them that are slain in the heart of the sea.

9 Wilt thou yet say before them that slay thee: I am God; whereas thou art a man, and not God, in the hand of them that slay thee?

10 Thou shalt die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God.

R. (39c) It is I who deal death and give life.

26 I said: Where are they? I will make the memory of them to cease from among men.

27ab But for the wrath of the enemies I have deferred it: lest perhaps their enemies might be proud.

R. It is I who deal death and give life.

27cd Our mighty hand, and not the Lord, hath done all these things.

28 They are a nation without counsel, and without wisdom.

R. It is I who deal death and give life.

30 How should one pursue after a thousand, and two chase ten thousand? Was it not, because their God had sold them, and the Lord had shut them up?

R. It is I who deal death and give life.

35cd The day of destruction is at hand, and the time makes haste to come.

36ab The Lord will judge his people, and will have mercy on his servants.

R. It is I who deal death and give life.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

9 Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich So that by his poverty you might become rich.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples: Amen, I say to you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

24 And again I say to you: It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.

25 And when they had heard this, the disciples wondered very much, saying: Who then can be saved?

26 And Jesus beholding, said to them: With men this is impossible: but with God all things are possible.

27 Then Peter answering, said to him: Behold we have left all things, and have followed thee: what therefore shall we have?

28 And Jesus said to them: Amen, I say to you, that you, who have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the seat of his majesty, you also shall sit on twelve seats judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

29 And every one that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall possess life everlasting.

30 And many that are first, shall be last: and the last shall be first.

The readings expose the danger of a heart that turns gifts into a throne. The prince of Tyre possesses wisdom, strength, and treasure, yet begins to regard himself as God. The psalm cuts through that illusion: human power cannot claim what belongs to the Lord, who alone deals death and gives life. Wealth and ability are not evil, but they become spiritually dangerous when they persuade us that we are self-sufficient.

Jesus speaks with the same seriousness about riches because the kingdom cannot be entered by achievement or possession. The disciples ask, “Who then can be saved?” and Christ does not point to human effort. He answers with hope: “With God all things are possible.” The Alleluia shows the path—Christ, rich in himself, became poor so that we might become rich in him. Following him means releasing our claim to control, allowing God to reorder what we own, love, and seek. The first may become last, and the last first, because life everlasting is received as grace. Whatever we possess, we hold humbly, ready to place it at the service of Christ and his kingdom.

Lord Jesus, free my heart from pride and from the desire to rely upon possessions, strength, or wisdom apart from you. Teach me to remember that every good gift comes from your hand and that you alone are the source of life. Give me the courage to surrender whatever keeps me from following you, and the generosity to use what I have for the good of others. When salvation seems impossible, deepen my trust in your mercy and power. Make me humble, faithful, and willing to receive the true riches of your kingdom. Amen.