As we continue our Lenten journey, the Church in her wisdom presents us with readings that call us to reflect on divine election, sacrifice, and reward. The texts from Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 45:1-6 and Matthew 19:27-29, read in light of the Feria Sexta infra Hebdomadam II in Quadragesima, urge us to consider the greatness of God’s calling and the reward of those who forsake all for Him.
The Chosen Friend of God
The passage from Ecclesiasticus recounts how Moses was “beloved of God and men,” a holy servant set apart for a divine mission:
“He was beloved of God, and men: whose memory is in benediction. He made him like the saints in glory, and magnified him in the fear of his enemies. And with his words he made prodigies to cease. He glorified him in the sight of kings, and gave him commandments before his people, and shewed him his glory. He sanctified him in his faith, and meekness, and chose him out of all flesh. For he heard him, and his voice, and brought him into a cloud. And he gave him commandments before his face, and a law of life and instruction.” (Ecclus. 45:1-6)
This passage reveals Moses as a foreshadowing of Christ—the Mediator between God and man (cf. 1 Tim 2:5). St. Augustine, in Contra Faustum, reminds us that Moses was “a type of Christ,” for he “stood between God and the people, as Christ Himself was to be the Mediator of the New Covenant.” Moses received the law on Mount Sinai, but Christ, the new Moses, would fulfill the Law and engrave it upon the hearts of men (cf. Jer 31:33).
Moses’ humility is especially noteworthy. As St. John Chrysostom observes, “To be exalted in God’s presence, one must first be made low in His sight” (Homilies on Matthew). It was in his meekness that Moses was chosen, and so too in Lent, we are reminded that our exaltation in Christ must be preceded by a season of humbling, fasting, and obedience.
Leaving All for Christ
In the Gospel passage, St. Peter asks Our Lord what reward awaits those who leave everything to follow Him:
“Then Peter answering, said to him: Behold we have left all things, and have followed thee: what therefore shall we have? 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. 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 a hundredfold, and shall possess life everlasting.” (Matt. 19:27-29)
St. Peter’s question is that of every disciple who desires to give himself wholly to Christ. St. Jerome, commenting on this passage, exhorts:
“He that renounces earthly riches, gains heavenly riches. He that forsakes temporal things, receives eternal things. This is the great exchange of the Gospel.” (Commentary on Matthew)
This passage resonates deeply in Lent, for it speaks of detachment. If we wish to follow Christ, we must be willing to forsake all—comforts, attachments, and even relationships that may hinder our union with Him. St. Gregory the Great, in his Moralium, reflects:
“The kingdom of heaven is promised to those who give up earthly things, not to those who merely seek it in word, but who demonstrate their love by their works.”
This is the challenge of Lent. Our fasting and penance are not mere rituals but an outward sign of an inward detachment from the world. We must ask ourselves: what are we clinging to that prevents us from fully surrendering to Christ?
The Reward of the Faithful
Christ’s promise in Matthew 19 is both consoling and challenging. The apostles, who left everything, are promised seats of judgment in the regeneration—the new creation. But this promise extends beyond them. To every disciple who renounces worldly goods for Christ’s sake, a “hundredfold” reward is given, culminating in “life everlasting.”
St. Augustine, in De Civitate Dei, sees in this passage a foretaste of the Beatific Vision:
“The reward of leaving all for Christ is nothing less than Christ Himself. He is the portion of the righteous, the inheritance of the saints. To leave all is to gain all, for we gain Him who is the source of all good.”
This is the heart of our Lenten preparation. We do not fast, pray, or give alms simply for their own sake, but so that, purged of all worldly distractions, we may more clearly behold Christ.
Conclusion: A Lenten Call to Holiness
As we meditate on these passages in this sacred season, we are invited to follow the example of Moses in meekness and fidelity, and to embrace the radical call of the Gospel by detachment from worldly goods. The reward is beyond compare: union with Christ in His Kingdom.
Let us then take up the challenge of Lent, renouncing all that hinders our love for God, confident in Our Lord’s words:
“Every one that hath left all for my name’s sake shall receive a hundredfold and shall possess life everlasting.”
May Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles, intercede for us, that we may persevere in this holy season and one day inherit the eternal reward Christ has promised.
Domine, quid me vis facere?—Lord, what wilt Thou have me do?