“Sell everything you own and give the money to the poor”

In today’s Gospel, a man asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life.  Jesus recites the Commandments to him.  The man says he has always kept these.  Jesus adds, “There is one thing you lack.  Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor.”  Then we hear, “But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.”

The man was forced to consider what he valued most.  So, surely, his sadness arose from his being attached to things which are ultimately not so important, and primarily, being rich.  The first verse of today’s psalm begins, “Make us know the shortness of our life that we may gain wisdom of heart.”

If the man had been wise enough, he would have realised that Jesus’ call offered him true and eternal happiness.  Wisdom is the main subject of the first reading.  “…I entreated, and the spirit of Wisdom came to me.”  The speaker realises, “…compared with her (Wisdom), I held riches as nothing.”

Is it possible that we can all be sad or afraid at times of what the Lord is asking of us?  If we are not wise, we will give in to the calls of less important things than the ones Jesus offers us.  Rather than being fearful or miserable, if we pray for an increase of faith and wisdom, we will come to see that God always wishes to bless us in love.  He only has a good will for us.  And he has the perfect plans for each of us.  

God bless, Fr Kevin.