12th Sunday of Matthew

Working together, we entreat also that you do not receive the grace of God in vain.

²For he says, “At an acceptable time I listened to you. In a day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. ³We give no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our service may not be blamed, ⁴but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God: in great endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, ⁵in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in labors, in watchings, in fastings, ⁶in pureness, in knowledge, in perseverance, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in sincere love, ⁷in the word of truth, in the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, ⁸by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report, as deceivers and yet true, ⁹as unknown and yet well known, as dying and behold—we live, as punished and not killed, ¹⁰as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things.

Behold, one came to him and said, “Good teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?”

¹⁷He 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.”

¹⁸He 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.’ ¹⁹‘Honor your father and your mother.’ And, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

²⁰The young man said to him, “All these things I have observed from my youth. What do I still lack?”

²¹Jesus 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.” ²²But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he was one who had great possessions.

²³Jesus said to his disciples, “Most certainly I say to you, a rich man will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven with difficulty. ²⁴Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into God’s Kingdom.”

²⁵When the disciples heard it, they were exceedingly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁶Looking at them, Jesus said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”