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Tuesday, August 20, 2002

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St. Bernard


Ezekiel 28:1-10
Deuteronomy 32:26-28, 30, 35-36
Matthew 19:23-30

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crash!

"I repeat what I said: it is easier for a camel to pass through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." —Matthew 19:24

Ezekiel predicted that the stock market would crash when prophesying against the prince of Tyre. Tyre by its worldly wisdom and intelligence made money for itself and put gold and silver into its treasuries (Ez 28:4). Tyre was the Wall Street or Madison Avenue of the ancient world. It had grown haughty in its heaped up riches and was doomed to destruction.

Jesus predicted a crash even greater than Tyre's "stock market" crash. He said it was very difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of God (Mt 19:24). They live in jeopardy of the ultimate crash: eternal damnation. Therefore, "those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and a trap. They are letting themselves be captured by foolish and harmful desires which drag men down to ruin and destruction. The love of money is the root of all evil. Some men in their passion for it have strayed from the faith, and have come to grief amid great pain" (1 Tm 6:9-10).

Prayer:  Father, may I not have anything You don't want me to have.

Promise:  "For man it is impossible; but for God all things are possible." —Mt 19:26

Praise:  At the age of sixteen, St. Bernard joined the monastery of Citeaux. His five brothers, two uncles, and thirty friends also joined with him.

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, February 7, 2002


Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, February 12, 2002