What will there be for us?

Pr 2,1-9; Ps 33; Mt 19,27-29
11 JULY

It is sufficient to take a look at God’s promises in material and spiritual goods to those who observe the Law of Sinai, or pay attention to some blessing of the father to his son, and we will know immediately that Peter’s question to Jesus Christ is out of place. The Father has always given all abundance to his faithful.

Again he asked him, “Are you really my son Esau?” “Certainly,” he replied. Then Isaac said, “Serve me your game, son, that I may eat of it and then give you my blessing.” Jacob served it to him, and Isaac ate; he brought him wine, and he drank. Finally his father Isaac said to him, “Come closer, son, and kiss me.” As Jacob went up and kissed him, Isaac smelled the fragrance of his clothes. With that, he blessed him, saying, “Ah, the fragrance of my son is like the fragrance of a field that the Lord has blessed! “May God give to you of the dew of the heavens And of the fertility of the earth abundance of grain and wine. “Let peoples serve you, and nations pay you homage; Be master of your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be those who curse you, and blessed be those who bless you” (Gen 27,24-29).

Unless the Lord builds the house, They labour in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, To retire late, To eat the bread of painful labours; For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep. Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies in the gate (Ps 127 (126) 1-5).

For those blessed by Him will inherit the land, But those cursed by Him will be cut off. The steps of a man are established by the Lord, And He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand. I have been young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken Or his descendants begging bread. All day long he is gracious and lends, And his descendants are a blessing. Depart from evil and do good, So you will abide forever. For the Lord loves justice And does not forsake His godly ones; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked will be cut off. The righteous will inherit the land And dwell in it forever (Ps 37 (36) 22-29).

“If you live in accordance with my precepts and are careful to observe my commandments, I will give you rain in due season, so that the land will bear its crops, and the trees their fruit; your threshing will last till vintage time, and your vintage till the time for sowing, and you will have food to eat in abundance, so that you may dwell securely in your land. I will establish peace in the land, that you may lie down to rest without anxiety. I will rid the country of ravenous beasts, and keep the sword of war from sweeping across your land. You will rout your enemies and lay them low with your sword. Five of you will put a hundred of your foes to flight, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand of them, till they are cut down by your sword. I will look with favour upon you, and make you fruitful and numerous, as I carry out my covenant with you. So much of the old crops will you have stored up for food that you will have to discard them to make room for the new. I will set my Dwelling among you, and will not disdain you. Ever present in your midst, I will be your God, and you will be my people; for it is I, the Lord, your God, who brought you out of the land of the Egyptians and freed you from their slavery, breaking the yoke they had laid upon you and letting you walk erect (Lev 26,3-13).

If Jesus promises the reward of the righteous and the prophet to the one who gives only a glass of fresh water to one of his envoys, what will the Father not give to those who have sacrificed their lives for the cause of the Gospel? The reward will be exceedingly great and eternal.

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 who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve 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.

Let who consecrates his life entirely for the service of the kingdom of God and of the Gospel, know that God will consecrate himself to him. Consecration for consecration. God consecrates himself with his omnipotence of grace, truth, mercy, justice, light and peace.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints, renew in the disciples the spirit of true consecration.