May Jesus Christ be praised and may his holy Mother pray for
us.
On Thursday, our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, opened the
Year of Faith. Celebrating the fiftieth
anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and the twentieth
anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the
Holy Father has invited us to reflect both on the gift of faith and the mystery
of faith. We are called to meditate upon
the faith that we profess with our lips and to witness more profoundly to the
faith that radiates in our lives. Pope
Benedict invites us to travel along the road of conversion so that with minds
and hearts renewed we may embrace the faith once delivered unto the
saints. We are invited to embrace the
faith that overcomes all fear.
The rich man in the Gospel today did not possess a faith that
was stronger than his fear. Presenting a
question to the Lord Jesus about the way to eternal life, the rich man received
two answers from the Lord Jesus. With
the first answer, the rich man was reminded of the importance of keeping the
commandments of the law of God. Notice,
dear brothers and sisters, that all of the commandments that the Lord mentions
are concerned with how the rich man treats other people. The rich man, a devout follower of the law
and a man of justice could claim to have kept the commandments since his youth. He was, according to the law, a righteous man. And looking at him, Jesus loved him. The second answer of the Lord Jesus now
followed. “Go, sell what you have, and
give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow
me.” Looking upon the face of incarnate
love, the rich man decided that the cost was too great. He walked away from Jesus, saddened that his
many possessions were more precious to him than eternal life. The fear that could not be overcome was that
he would lose more than he would gain.
He feared that following Christ into heaven would be worth less than his
many possessions on earth. And he went
away sad.
Peter and the apostles had left everything to follow the Lord
Jesus. The prayer we heard in the
reading from book of Wisdom had been answered for them. They had received the spirit of wisdom to
recognize that nothing on earth could be more precious than following the Lord
Jesus. And yet, Peter seems to ask in
the gospel today about the rewards of discipleship. In exchange for what they had given up, what
would they receive? The Lord Jesus
responds with divine generosity announcing that whoever has given up houses or
family or future or wealth would receive a hundred times more in this life, along
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come. The Lord Jesus would give to his disciples a share
of what was his in this life and in the life to come. The rewards of discipleship, my dear brothers and
sisters, are not the things that were spoken of; the reward of discipleship is the
one who was speaking. The true reward of
following the Lord Jesus is the Lord Jesus. And united to the Lord Jesus, in the power of the
Holy Spirit, we are received in the presence of the Father. No treasure of earth can be more precious than
the gift of a place in the kingdom. No fear
can be more powerful than the perfect and abundant love of God. The great mystery of our faith is that we are loved
from all eternity, and in his love, the Lord has invited us to share his love.
As we celebrate this Eucharist today, we celebrate the great gift
and the great mystery of our faith. We ask
for the grace to follow the Lord Jesus without fear. And turning our hearts to him, we profess that
Christ Jesus himself is the only reward we seek, and we will go rejoicing.
Preached at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic
Church, Monroe, NC
