The most important question in life!
“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.”
Interestingly, Jesus does not include the first three com-mandments: I am the Lord your God, you shall have no gods before me; Do not take God’s name in vain; Remember to keep holy the Sabbath.
The man replied that he has kept all these, but Jesus looks at him lovingly and points out what he is lacking, “You are lacking one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”
At that statement the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Obviously, he put his possessions before God and his mission of saving love and truth.
Jesus said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!” They were amazed. So Jesus again said, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!”…. “Then who can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God.”
Jesus said that only God is good, which is true since God is the Source of all life – both natural and supernatural (sanctifying grace). We are good only to the degree that we live according to God’s natural law and supernatural law of grace which is found fully in Christ and his Catholic Church.
What about the Blessed Virgin Mary, is she good? St. Mary perfectly participated in God’s goodness in stages since she had to grow in her faith, hope and love, just as we do. Unfortunately, we often fall into venial sin, but St. Mary never sinned and did all that God asked of her.
This man who asked that most important question is a sinner like us, and we sinners often think that we are bet-ter than we really are in following God’s first command-ment: “I am the Lord your God, you shall not have any gods beside me.” Daily we often put things, especially are own opinions and wants, before God and his plan of restoring our world by living the fullness of his Kingdom of saving grace and truth.
Jesus Christ and his Mother Mary perfectly fulfilled the Ten Commandments, especially the first commandment which in its fullness means helping the material and spiri-tual poor which helps extend God’s mission of saving truth, love and grace.
But do I need to give up everything? True, every good thing comes from God, and we must be thankful and coop-erate virtuously with Jesus and Mary to maintain these things, but we need not give up everything unless we are called to be a religious brother or sister.
Some are called to the religious life and can only live it faithfully by cooperating with God’s grace and truth. Hence,
in today’s Gospel we hear Peter, our first Pope, say to Christ, “We have given up everything and followed you.” Jesus responds that since they sacrificed for him and the gospel, they will receive much more reward – with perse-cutions – in this life and, if they persevere, eternal life.
Most Catholics are called to the Sacrament of Marriage and they need to have a certain amount of wealth to provide for their families – not all the toys the world offers, but enough to fulfill their call in life, without neglecting the mis-sion of Jesus Christ which means striving to give 10% (tithing) of your time, talent and treasure to the church so that Christ’s saving mission through his Church can triumph.
Jesus said to those who don’t fully trust God, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. But these you should have done, without neglecting the others. Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!” Mt. 23:23. Here, Jesus is admonishing sinners with true love which is a divine work of mercy.
Those who strain out the gnat – a little unhealthy thing in water or food – but swallow the camel of mortal sin is an ac-tion unfortunately rife in today’s world. On the other hand, some people will tithe, but neglect honest and helpful judg-ments that show mercy, especially the Spiritual Works of Mercy: Instruct the Ignorant: Jesus said, “This is how you are to pray, “Our Father, who art in heaven… give us this day, our daily bread...” Forgive those who Sin Against: You, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Admonish the Sinner: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.” Jn. 10:1 (The remaining 7 Spiritual Works of Mercy on the back cover).
Of course, the gate is repenting and confessing one’s sins. That is why, after his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his Apostles and breathed on them saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” See Gospel of John 20:20-23.
Let us not walk away from Christ and his Church with sadness though we have many blessings, but rather faithfully follow and rejoice that we know the answer to the most important question “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” We are to live the Catholic faith fully by putting Jesus Christ and his Church’s mission first, and thus restore peace, mercy and justice to the world around us, reaping great rewards here and in heaven.
Peace through Jesus and Mary,
Fr. Thomas McCabe
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