Ezekiel 24:15-23; Dt 32 YOu have forgotten God who gave yo birth; Mt 19:16-22
"A young man approached JEsus and said, "Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?"
Now here is the question of all questions.
We spend our life asking many futile questions. We worry about many things and anxiety fills our life day in and day put about questions about the future and what life may hold or how we may move through life that lies ahead.
When is the last time we asked questions that truly matter.
This young man certainly knew how to get to the heart of the matter. Do we?
IT is a rabbi who put it best, "the questions we ask are just as important as the answers we seek."
The rabbi often said that he would pray for the strength to ask God the real questions.
"What good must I do to gain eternal life."
As important a question as this in our life, the answer Jesus gives is just as important, "If you wish to be perfect, go sell what yo have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me."
Many of us are fine with being mediocre. Many of us are fine with just getting by and getting on with life. But this is not what JEsus expects nor commands.
What matters most in the answer is the last statement, "then come follow me."
Only in following Christ will we garner the strength to do as he did, to give it all away.
What do you hold on to in life; what do you cling to in life, what do you refuse to let go in order to move forward in following Christ?
Possessions posses and often hold us hostage.
How often have I have heard people make decisions about their life or their family size because they are afraid they may not be able to have everything they want in life.
How sad it is when we will trade things for the treasure that last.
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Bernard. Here are a few of his words to get us moving int he direction of Christ,
"Love is sufficient of itself, it gives pleasure by itself and because of itself. It is its own merit, its own reward. Love looks for no cause outside of itself, no effect beyond itself. Its profit lies in its practice. I love because I love, I love that I may love. Love is a great thing so long as it continually returns to its fountain head, flows back to its source, always drawing from the water which constantly replenishes it....it is true that the creature loves less because she is lee. But if she loves with her whole being, nothing is lacking where everything is given."
Is this not what Jesus invites us to when he invites us to leave it all behind, to love with our whole being and thus nothing will be lacking.
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