Eighth Monday of Ordinary Time

“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.” He replied and said to him, “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” At that statement, his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

How many of us could say to Jesus that we have kept all the commandments from our youth? And yet, this is not enough to inherit eternal life. Jesus, out of love, tells the young man that he is lacking in one thing: charity. How many of us are lacking in charity as well? Part of following Jesus is following God’s commandments, but just as important is our compassion and love for others, especially the poor and suffering, as expressed by our acts of charity and mercy. It is not easy to follow Jesus, he asks for our all, he wants us to empty ourselves of our worldly possessions so he can fill us with his love. Ultimately, we will have to make the choice between eternal life with Jesus and death. Hopefully, we will make the right choice: to give God and His children everything we have, and store up treasures in heaven.

Are we keeping God’s commandments? Are we leading lives of charity and compassion? Are we willing to go, sell what we have, give to the poor and suffering, and follow in Jesus’ footsteps?

O Lord, give us the strength to let go of our possessions and let you inside our hearts.

Amen.