27 May 2013
Monday of the Eighth Week of Ordinary Time
When Jesus met the rich young man, He must have seen in his eyes a desire for something more, something greater, yet a desire trapped by possessions. The Lord offered a simple, standard answer to the man’s probing question – follow the commandments. Yet Christ must have known that there was more to the question. Mark recounts how Jesus, “looking at him, loved him.” What a beautiful little comment interjected into this story! It provides the clue for why Jesus goes on with his famous request: “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor… then come, follow me.” The Lord only makes these demands of those whom He loves.
The tragic note in the story is that, though it starts on an optimistic note, it ends with the man’s abandonment of his good resolution to go above and beyond. If only he had just let go, for an instant, of his possessions! If he had done this, he would have seen that they are nothing at all compared to the love of God. We, too, who so often are enwrapped by our possessions need to let go – just for an instant. Let us simply put it all in the hands of God and trust in Him.