Twentieth Monday of Ordinary Time

“All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

The young man tells Jesus that he has kept all of God’s commandments, including loving his neighbor as himself. Jesus does not dispute this, instead he talks of becoming perfect and points out that in order to be perfect in the eyes of God, the young man must not only follow all of the commandments, but also detach himself from the world and follow Jesus. This saddens the young man and challenges us because this is exactly what we are all called to do in our lives. Following the commandments of God and loving our neighbors are good starts, but to be a perfect servant of God we ought to detach ourselves from our material goods and follow Jesus. This may be hard for us to do in a world where success is measure by our material goods. However, we must be willing to sacrifice everything for Jesus and follow him where we might not wish to go.

Have we observed all of God’s commandments? Do we love our neighbors as Jesus loves them? Are we willing to give up our material possessions and follow Christ?

O Lord, we pray to that you might help us to become perfect and follow you wherever you want us to go.

Amen.