Word to the Wise
Monday, August 20, 2018 - Monday in the 20th Week in Ordinary Time
[Ezek 24:15-23 and Matt 19:16-22]MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2018 ST. BERNARD, abbot and Scott of the church [Ezekiel 24:15-23 and Matthew 19:16-22] “Teacher, what must I do to gain eternal life?” The young man who approaches Jesus in the gospel episode today is a genuinely concerned person. He has been faithful but he feels empty. Something is missing. Jesus goes down a list that would enable the guy to “enter into life.” The guy checks them all off and says he’s been doing all those things. But he still feels something is lacking. That’s when Jesus puts his finger on something that the young man had not thought about. What is my real security? His many possessions may have been what he considered part of his being faithful. After all, these possessions would have been considered in his society as a great blessing. Jesus now tells him that his real security is not in those possessions but in following Jesus without them! It can be a sobering process to ask just how our faith is impacted by our lifestyle and “stuff.” How many of our decisions about how we are going to live our lives as Catholic Christians are dictated by social commitments that reflect a given level of economic life? Do we “follow” Christ outside of going to the prescribed sacramental events? Have we confused the minimum with the maximum? The young man had some insight into this but was not expecting the challenge Jesus gave him. How do we respond to that same challenge? AMEN