Fr. Gerard’s Weekly Column: 10/13/24

What must I do to inherit eternal life?

The man in Mark’s Gospel today, who runs and kneels before Jesus, always gives me pause. He seems to be on the right track, as he sincerely wants to know how to gain eternal life. He has probably thought about the question a great deal, and he seems to want a clear-cut answer to the question. What are the definitive steps that will guarantee eternal life?  Jesus recites the law for him and the man, responds: “All of these things I have observed from my youth.” He knows he lacks something, but what is it?

St. Mark tells us that Jesus looks upon the man with love, perhaps because he recognizes the man’s sincerity and his desire to go deeper. Then Jesus tells him directly “Go, sell what you have, and give it to the poor… then come, follow me.” We do not know how the man responded to the invitation of Jesus. We know he walked away sad – because he had many possessions. I like to imagine that he knew Jesus was speaking truth and walked away with a desire to follow as he commanded even if he thought it be impossible or just too difficult.

Jesus is speaking to all of us. He is not telling the man or us to become destitute. To “give up” everything we possess means being willing to give it away. If it’s a good thing for us to have because it blesses us, God does want us to enjoy it, because true joy comes from God. If we remain attached to earthly stuff, we distance ourselves from God and hurt those who would benefit from our generosity. To achieve complete freedom from attachments, however, we cannot rely only on our own efforts. It is by God’s grace that we have the courage to let go of whatever possessions that are possessing us. What action will help you detach from earthly treasures? Is there a time you gave away an earthly treasure even though you really didn’t want to detach from it. What motivated you to give it away?

WORLD MISSION SUNDAY – Next week we celebrate World Mission Sunday. This is an opportunity for the entire church to be mindful of the men and women serving as missionaries, providing both care and evangelizing. It is also a powerful reminder of our call to be missionaries. The collection taken up on this day is unique as it is mandated by the Code of Canon Law and is essential for the survival and growth of the Church in mission territories. These funds support the pastoral and evangelizing work of the Church, including building churches, providing healthcare and education, and training future priests and religious. In places where resources are scarce, our generosity will make a profound difference.

Peace,