Jessel Pradeep Cutinha csc –
Readings: Judg 2:11-19; Mt 19: 16-22
To follow the Lord is to listen to God’s commandments, that is to love God and one’s neighbors. To love God is not to possess anything that which takes us away from God. It is to give our unconditional priority to God. To love God with our heart, mind and soul includes a sense of compassion for the poor and willingness to share our blessings with the needy. Jesus today asks us to break our attachment to wealth by sharing it with others.
The challenge that Jesus placed before the rich young man today in the gospel is also placed before us by Jesus. The young man loved the things of this world more than the people who were created in God’s image, for he failed to share his possessions with the poor. He loved the power of the earth more than he loved Jesus. Our following of Jesus and following his commandments must be totally unconditional.
The first reading of today tells us that the people of Israel failed to keep the commandments of God and went after other gods. Similarly, we do fail to keep God’s commandments and show less in our spiritual growth.
It is not wrong to have power and wealth, but the spiritual benefits lie in sharing these with others. Let us pray for the grace that we may follow God’s commandments by sharing our wealth and blessing with others, so that we may inherit God as our precious treasure.