Dear Sisters and Brothers, Peace and Love of Christ be with you!!!
Every
new day can be received as an opportunity to align our lives with God’s eternal
will for us. Life is full of deep questions. At some point, every person, no
matter how successful, how wealthy, or how morally upright, must ask: What is my life
truly about? Where am I going? What must I do to inherit eternal life?
Some people ask these questions in quiet
reflection, while others, like the young man in today’s Gospel, come running,
eager for an answer. This was really a striking encounter: the young man, full
of zeal, runs to Jesus, kneels before Him, and asks a question that should
resonate deeply in every heart.
“Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
This is the question of a
soul, the cry of a seeker, of someone
who has recognized that earthly success, moral uprightness, and material wealth
are not enough to experience life in full. He senses that something is missing.
But the outcome of this
conversation is heartbreaking. This same man, who had come running in
enthusiasm, walks away sad because Jesus asks him for something he is
not ready to give, his attachments.
The Loving Gaze of Jesus
One of the most
beautiful moments in this passage is this: “Jesus, looking at
him, loved him.” Here is a truth that should strike us to the core:
even when we struggle to let go, even when we hesitate before the radical
demands of the Gospel, Jesus looks at us with love.
This divine love is not
mere sentimentality; it calls us to something deeper. Jesus does not lower the
standard to accommodate our hesitations. Instead, He lovingly invites us into a
life of freedom, unshackled from anything that hinders us from true
discipleship.
The Challenge of Wealth:
A Call to Detachment
Jesus' words: “How
hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God”, are not
an outright condemnation of riches. Wealth honestly acquired is not evil in
itself, but the danger lies in where our treasure is, where our security rests,
and what truly holds our hearts.
The problem was not that
the young man had wealth, but that wealth had him. His possessions possessed
him. Jesus was offering him something infinitely greater: Himself, a life of
true abundance, an inheritance in the Kingdom! But he could not let go.
This is where the Gospel
speaks powerfully to us today. Perhaps not all are called to radical poverty,
but every disciple of Christ is called to radical trust; to hold loosely
the things of this world and to let Christ be our ultimate security.
What About Us? The
Disciple’s Dilemma
This passage shakes us. It forces us to ask:
- What do I hold onto so tightly that it keeps me from fully following
Jesus?
- Is my identity and security in Christ, or in the comforts of this
world?
- Am I willing to let go of my “wealth”, whether it be material
possessions, ambitions, status, or personal plans, if Jesus calls me to?
The rich young man
walked away sad because he chose to keep what he could not keep and lost what
he could have gained forever. Earthly riches will come to pass. What remains
forever is life with God.
Jesus reassures us: “For
human beings, it is impossible, but not for God. For God, all things are
possible.”
The way of the Kingdom
is not one of human strength but of divine grace. The impossible becomes
possible when we surrender to Christ. The path of discipleship may be costly,
but what Jesus offers is immeasurably greater than anything we leave behind.
So, will we walk away
sad, or will we take the hand of the One who looks at us with love and step
forward in faith? Let take time to meditate personally on this Gospel and
listen to Christ voice speak to our heart.
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