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.
Gaining eternal life
1. What must I do? Faith doesn’t 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. It’s true that following the commandments is incredibly difficult. God had a clear vision when He gave us these rules for life. They’re like indicator arrows, those little guiding lights that show us where to go. It’s a first step to know that what you do is meant for eternal life and that way, to start living in peace. Do you have peace? I’m referring to the peace you receive through your encounter with Jesus Christ and the passion for his message of love. Take a look at your life through the lens of the Ten Commandments. It’s good to clean out the chimney of our soul from time to time.
2. Giving up, letting go. After looking at your life in the moral sense, there’s another kind of analysis: being detached. I’m reminded of that wild man from Assisi who said, “The more you have, the more you’re a slave to it,” and it’s true. I know several people who live to pay for their vacation home more than to actually enjoy it. Why do you want so much if you don’t even enjoy life later? Faith implies having a selfless and free heart to fully embrace God.
3. Sadness. That’s what you feel when you can’t let go, when you realize you can’t have everything, and on top of that, you have to accept that to fly high, you need to shed some weight. Many times, you’re 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. Today, I don’t know what you need to give up, but I do know that you and I both have something to let go of. Sadness is a product of the fear of not being able to let go. Don’t let it consume you.
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.
