The Ultimate Goal
Today’s readings take us to a glimpse of our own ultimate goal as we consider the story of the young man who is attracted to Jesus but in the end, cannot summon the courage to follow Him. The man asks, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus refers him to the commandments, and we learn that these are already part of the young man’s life. It is possible that he is only saying this to impress Jesus, but the fact that “Jesus, looking at him, loved him” belies this supposition. To all appearances, the young man is sincere. His next response, when Jesus advises him to “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and …then come, follow me,” is also honest. He “went away sad, for he had many possessions.” I had always hoped that perhaps the man was sad because he knew how much work it would be to sell his many possessions and he was not looking forward to the task. And we never hear for certain what happened. But I also know from experience that giving things away is quite liberating (and even fun) and it does not seem that this is the direction in which the young man was headed.
The Goal of Faith
The first reading lays out the inheritance available to all of us. It is our salvation, based on the resurrection of Jesus. It is there for us, though it will not come without suffering of some sort. St. Peter speaks of an “indescribable and glorious joy” that comes with the attainment of “the goal of faith, the salvation of your souls.”
All Things Are Possible with God
What keeps us from embracing this hope? As Christians and, especially, as religious we may not have many possessions in the sense described in the Gospel, but what do we have that gets in the way? Is it cynicism or lack of faith in the relationships that will lead us to God? Do we identify with things in the present culture that undercut the awareness of the Kingdom? Do we seek to build a bubble around us that will help us avoid facing the issues of our time? Can we lay those things aside and walk away, not with sadness but with quiet determination and even a smile? I am betting that we can!
