Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 19, 16-22
A young man approached Jesus and said,
“Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?”
He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good?
There is only One who is good.
If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
He asked him, “Which ones?”
And Jesus replied, “You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
honor your father and your mother;
and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
The young man said to him,
“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.
We receive what we give
1. Good deeds. Actions are a product of what you are. And in this life we receive what we give. There are times when we grumble and say, “Why am I bitter?” Isn’t it because that’s what you’re giving to others? You should bring peace to the rest of your family if you really want to have some peace yourself. Sometimes we love to make war, but we proclaim peace. What you bring about and what you have is up to you. Your actions are a product of what you are and what you want.
2. Compliance. Faith does not come down merely to morality, though morality is a part of our Christian life. Morality is important, but you can’t reduce faith only to that, we can’t reduce Christian life to determining what is sin and what isn’t. But for many years we have considered religion as mere ritualistic and moral compliances, almost forgetting the encounter with Jesus Christ and the passion for his message of love. Don’t reduce your faith to mere moral fulfillment, because more than anything else, it implies having a selfless and free heart to fully embrace God.
3. Sell and give. Many times, you are attached to things or affections that don’t help you. Stop clinging to things or people that don’t make you happy. It’s very easy to get attached to false needs and not venture into what the path of happiness implies. This young man went away sad because he felt he couldn’t give up things that gave him security, but not happiness. Sadness is a product of the fear of not being able to let go. Don’t forget that.
Remember that something good is on the way!
God bless you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
