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The Gospel reading today (Mark 10:17-30) is very familiar to most of us, but one that we may be tempted to ignore because we think it does not apply to us. It is important to remember, however that Jesus is speaking to each of us in our particular circumstances in life.
The rich man in the Gospel is apparently sincere about wanting to inherit eternal life. His heart would seem to be in the right place. When Jesus cites some of the Ten Commandments (though notice that he quotes only ones concerning our relationships with other people and not the Commandments regarding our relationship with God!) the rich man informs Jesus that he has followed the Ten Commandments since his youth. However, the rich man’s good intentions and his following of the law are not guarantees to eternal life. Why? Because salvation is God’s gift to us and not something that we can “earn.” Receiving the gift of salvation requires seeking to love God with one’s whole being, and letting go of those things that hinder us from growing in our love for God. The rich man was unwilling to receive the gift of salvation because of his attachment to his wealth and possessions.
We can ask ourselves: What is keeping me from following Jesus more closely? What in my life am I choosing above Jesus? What in my life is keeping me from prayer? What in my life is keeping me from loving my neighbor? What in my life makes me afraid to be Catholic in public?
These questions are relevant to all of us, regardless of whether we have many possessions like the rich man in the Gospel, or very few. We should be aware that Jesus asks us these questions in a loving way. The Gospel tells us that Jesus looked at him (the rich man) and loved him. Jesus is not trying to condemn us but rather to invite us into a deeper relationship with him. Jesus invites us to let go of those things that hinder us from growing in our love for him and following him more faithfully. Let us focus on Jesus so that one day we may come to share eternal life with him in heaven.
