The Gospel for the feast of the queenship of the blessed Virgin Mary is taken from Matthew 19th chapter 23rd to the 30th verse. Jesus said to his disciples, amen. I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, 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. When disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, who then can be saved? Jesus looked at them and said, for men this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.
Then Peter said to him in reply, we have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us? Jesus said to them, amen. I say to you that you have followed me. In the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne in glory, will yourselves sit on the 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters, or father or mother, or children or lands for the sake of My name will receive a hundred times more and will inherit eternal life.
But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first. The phrase the first will be last and the last will be first, I’m sure was a common phrase at the time to say, you’ve got it backwards. And what the disciples are wondering about is how are we going to be into this place you want us to be? What is our work? How do we achieve it? And I love his answer, you cannot do it.
Can a camel be squeezed through the eye of a needle? Impossible. Can you earn your salvation by doing what you think you need to do? Impossible. Believe that I am the source of your salvation. Trust me.
Listen to me. Become like me. That’s his message. The closing prayer. Father, we trust too much in ourselves. Our own work, our capacity to win your favor.
It’s impossible for us to win God’s favor because his favor is beyond anything we could imagine. His love, beyond anything we can imagine. His care is where we put our trust. And our work is to surrender. And we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.
