In this Sunday’s Gospel we hear the story of the man approaching Jesus, wondering what he must do to inherit eternal life. In response Jesus puts the commandments before him “You must not kill; You must not commit adultery; You must not steal; You must not bring false witness; You must not defraud; Honour your father and mother”. But while the man has kept these, there is one further thing he must do according to Jesus “Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me”. This disappoints him however as he was very wealthy.
Often we witness an imbalance in the distribution of material resources in our world. The Gospel message today reminds us to be prudent in the possession and use of material things. Jesus indicates to us that our real treasure is not signified by the amount of worldly goods we possess, rather it is the gift of eternal life which we will inherit in heaven. Being charitable to others is our Christian duty and in doing so we can live in a greater simplicity, sharing our goods and possessions with those who have not. In this way we can keep our eyes fixed on the Father, and the gift of eternal life that Jesus speaks about, living according to the commandments, in communion with God and with each other.
As we begin the Year of Faith the Word of God challenges us to renew our own faith, to abandon the things of this world, and focus on the fullness of life that is to come. Although the Christian life presents many challenges, we are reminded that “everything is possible for God”. Jesus further assures us that living in love and fidelity to the Gospel message and the Commandments of God will bring us real happiness both now and forever “there is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, father, children or land for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not be repaid a hundred times over…now in this present time and, in the world to come, eternal life.”
As Pope Benedict said:-
Our present-day culture often pressures us to seek immediate goals, achievements and pleasures. It fosters fickleness more than perseverance, hard work and fidelity to commitments. The messages it sends push a consumerist mentality and promise false happiness. Experience teaches us that possessions do not ensure happiness. How many people are surrounded by material possessions yet their lives are filled with despair, sadness and emptiness! To have lasting joy we need to live in love and truth. We need to live in God.
God wants us to be happy. That is why he gave us specific directions for the journey of life: the commandments. If we observe them, we will find the path to life and happiness. At first glance, they might seem to be a list of prohibitions and an obstacle to our freedom. But if we study them more closely, we see in the light of Christ’s message that the commandments are a set of essential and valuable rules leading to a happy life in accordance with God’s plan.
(Pope Benedict XVI, 15 March 2012)
