Beloved brothers and sisters,
"I pleaded, and the spirit of Wisdom came to me," the author of the Book of Wisdom (7:7) tells us this Sunday. The rich young man's request to Jesus in this Sunday's Gospel, Mark 10: 17-30, reflects his inner cry to God for something more profound, for Wisdom, a gift preferred above other precious things. The turn to God for Wisdom is the key to our quest for eternal life, just as the rich young man sought from Jesus. The young man's story is our story; it is the narrative of our inner journey and our quest for a deeper relationship with Jesus, the Wisdom of God. Jesus is the Wisdom of God that our heart hungers for, and it is only when we surrender our will totally to God in this search that God makes what seems impossible possible for us.
In the rich young man's search for more, just like our adventure into the spiritual life for a closer connection to divine grace and eternal life, obstacles will emerge. For the rich young man whom Jesus gazes upon in love and extends an invitation to an intimate encounter with Him, the Lord of Life, his attachment to wealth constitutes the obstacle to furthering his quest. The young man's disordered attachment to his wealth is why Jesus said it would be harder for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (Mk 10: 25). As long as the young man resists the call to surrender his will and trust entirely in Jesus for the rest of his search for meaning and share in the inner life of God, he will be incapable of seeking, finding and following Jesus.
Like the rich young man, we all have obstacles in the way of our total commitment to Jesus' followership. We are searching for a closer and tighter connection to God's Wisdom. Still, we are often unwilling to entrust our freedom and trust totally and absolutely to God, who makes all things necessary possible. The total surrender of all we have and are to Jesus, preferring him to all the beautiful and lovely things we have received and enjoy in this world, is the only way we can attain our desire for eternal life. Jesus, the Incarnate Word and Wisdom of God is the way to Eternal Joy, and the most incredible wisdom lies in seeking and following Him closely at the cost of any other good.
For all of us searching for true meaning and eternal life, let us turn away from attachment and dependence on worldly comfort and turn to Jesus, who continues to look at and love us to life. We must hand over our will freely to God. How do we do this? Let's keep learning from the Scriptures and the saints.
In Jesus' Love,
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
"I pleaded, and the spirit of Wisdom came to me," the author of the Book of Wisdom (7:7) tells us this Sunday. The rich young man's request to Jesus in this Sunday's Gospel, Mark 10: 17-30, reflects his inner cry to God for something more profound, for Wisdom, a gift preferred above other precious things. The turn to God for Wisdom is the key to our quest for eternal life, just as the rich young man sought from Jesus. The young man's story is our story; it is the narrative of our inner journey and our quest for a deeper relationship with Jesus, the Wisdom of God. Jesus is the Wisdom of God that our heart hungers for, and it is only when we surrender our will totally to God in this search that God makes what seems impossible possible for us.
In the rich young man's search for more, just like our adventure into the spiritual life for a closer connection to divine grace and eternal life, obstacles will emerge. For the rich young man whom Jesus gazes upon in love and extends an invitation to an intimate encounter with Him, the Lord of Life, his attachment to wealth constitutes the obstacle to furthering his quest. The young man's disordered attachment to his wealth is why Jesus said it would be harder for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (Mk 10: 25). As long as the young man resists the call to surrender his will and trust entirely in Jesus for the rest of his search for meaning and share in the inner life of God, he will be incapable of seeking, finding and following Jesus.
Like the rich young man, we all have obstacles in the way of our total commitment to Jesus' followership. We are searching for a closer and tighter connection to God's Wisdom. Still, we are often unwilling to entrust our freedom and trust totally and absolutely to God, who makes all things necessary possible. The total surrender of all we have and are to Jesus, preferring him to all the beautiful and lovely things we have received and enjoy in this world, is the only way we can attain our desire for eternal life. Jesus, the Incarnate Word and Wisdom of God is the way to Eternal Joy, and the most incredible wisdom lies in seeking and following Him closely at the cost of any other good.
For all of us searching for true meaning and eternal life, let us turn away from attachment and dependence on worldly comfort and turn to Jesus, who continues to look at and love us to life. We must hand over our will freely to God. How do we do this? Let's keep learning from the Scriptures and the saints.
In Jesus' Love,
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
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