Give It All You’ve Got

The Rich Young Man asks this of Jesus: What good must I do to gain eternal life? It’s
the question of questions and we all want to know the answer. Jesus offers the
Commandments and having kept these one and all, the wealthy youth presses
further, seeking perfection. Jesus’ answer sees him walk away sad, for he had many
possessions, and they were the stumbling block that prevented him from following
Jesus more closely.

How are You Caring for the Poor?

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. Mat 19:21

These are the words that left said young man crestfallen. I don’t know about you,
but the parables, you know, ones like the Rich Man and Lazarus, Rich Young Man and
the Sorting of the Sheep and the Goats leaves me uncomfortable and itching to turn
the page. But the words sear down deep, cutting between bone and marrow and of
course, it’s the good old conscience working overtime reminding us to take action –
while there’s still time!

In preparing for this reflection, I came across Bishop Barron’s video titled as above:
How are you caring for the poor? He quotes the Prophet Amos who warns of woe
that would befall the complacent, they who rest on beds of ivory and lounge on
couches, eating sumptuously and drinking wine from bowls while listening to
music. Ouch! Next up, he brings up Lazarus and the Unnamed Rich Man who goes
to Hell.

It’s good for us to be shaken out of our original sin that tends towards selfishness
and have a good dose of shock and awe. For those of us who live lives of
abundance and luxury, these words should sting not a little. In fact, they should
sting like billy-o!

And for good measure, help yourself to a couple of excellent quotes to hammer the
point home.

Pope Leo XIII reiterates Catholic social teaching in his encyclical Rerum Novarum,
saying: But when the demands of necessity and propriety have been sufficiently met, it is
a duty to give to the poor out of that which remains.

And Bishop Barron’s mentor, Cardinal George pulls no punches with this quote:
The poor need you to stay out of poverty. But you need the poor to stay out of hell.

Two Voices

There are two voices that vie for our attention, that of the world and from on high.
Which do we listen to, questions Bishop Barron. The voice of the world says we
can’t have enough of the Big Four: Wealth. Pleasure. Honor. Power.

The Old Testament talked a lot about material prosperity being the hallmark of
being God’s chosen people. However, when Jesus came on the scene, he began the
Beatitudes, which was the first part of the Sermon of the Mount, with this one:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

And Jesus knows a thing or two about human nature. The world wants us to
become materially rich, God wants us to accumulate spiritual riches, the treasures
of heaven.

Means to an End

Let’s ask the rich young man’s question again: What good must I do to gain eternal
life?

Bishop Barron suggests two ways:
Tithe!
Learn and observe the corporal acts of mercy.

The young man’s question is providential for us. St. Paul gives us the answer, in his
letter to the Romans, he quotes the same partial list as Jesus, and puts the rubber
stamp for us.

The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill,
you shall not steal; you shall not covet” and whatever other commandment
there may be are summed up in this saying, “you shall love your neighbor
as yourself. Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.
Rom 13:9-10

Jesus has this to say to the bewildered apostles who still subscribed to the theory of
material wealth being the sign of God’s providence:

Again, I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for
one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. Mat 19:24

So, if we want to enter into life, we better get cracking and start disposing of that
largesse with vim and with gusto.

[Readings: EZ 24:15-23; MT 19:16-22]