The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with our desire for a richer life with more of the elements that have eternal value.
Eternal values
The reading from the Prophet Ezekiel details how his bereavement is a symbolic message to the people of Jerusalem.
* [24:22–24] The fall of the city will be so sudden and final that the exiles will have no time to go into mourning.1
The author of Deuteronomy 32 provides verses to highlight a perverse generation.
* [32:21] “No-god”…“no-people”: worship of the gods of the nations brings destruction at the hands of a foreign invader. A false god cannot sustain or protect (cf. Jer 14:22); and though the nations seem “foolish” (see their characterization in such passages as Ps 114:1; Is 28:11; 33:19), they will prove to be anything but nonentities when the Lord stirs them up against Israel (Is 9:10–12). For the “no-” or “not-” construction, see Hos 1:6, 9; 2:1, 25.2
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus instructs the rich young man in living more perfectly.
* [19:21] If you wish to be perfect: to be perfect is demanded of all Christians; see Mt 5:48. In the case of this man, it involves selling his possessions and giving to the poor; only so can he follow Jesus.3
Joe Zaborowski shares the heart of this dialogue to him is the call by Christ “Then come follow me.”
Do I see Christ and living in a Christ-like manner as a focus in my daily life? What am I willing to give up in my life to follow Christ? As the months and years have gone by the answer is becoming clearer and clearer. I need to follow “the One who is good.” My daily prayers are for willingness and the gift of God’s grace to accompany me along the way.4
Don Schwager quotes “Seek the life that endures,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"The Lord said to a certain young man, 'If you would enter life, keep the commandments.' He did not say 'If you would have life' but 'If you would enter life,' defining that life as eternal life. Let us first consider then the love of this life. For this life is loved, whatever its quality - and however troubled it is, however wretched, people are afraid to end it. Hence we should see, we should consider, how much eternal life is to be loved, when this miserable life that must at some time be ended is so loved. Consider, brothers, how much that life is to be loved when it is a life you never end. You love this life, where you work so much, run, are busy, pant. In this busy life the obligations can scarcely be counted: sowing, plowing, working new land, sailing, grinding, cooking, weaving. And after all this hard work your life comes to an end. Look at what you suffer in this wretched life that you so love. And do you think that you will always live and never die? Temples, rocks, marbles, all reinforced by iron and lead, still fall. And a person thinks that he will never die? Learn therefore, brothers, to seek eternal life, when you will not endure these things but will reign with God forever." (excerpt from Sermon 84,1)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 19:16-22 asks could Jesus be asking us to walk away from a deeply held dream or a successful career? Maybe. But more likely, he is asking us to make him a greater priority than these things so that we can serve and please him before taking care of our own desires.
No matter what the specifics of Jesus’ call are, at its heart it’s a call to greater detachment. It’s a call to hold the various elements of your life loosely so that you can be more open to whatever path God has marked out for you.
How do we get to this kind of detachment? One good way is to understand that all we have is, ultimately, a gift from God. As we come to appreciate his generosity and kindness toward us, we will become more convinced that he will continue to take care of us in the future, no matter what lies ahead.6
Friar Jude Winkler connects Ezekiel’s symbolic action to the acceptance of the will of God for Jerusalem. Heart, mind, and soul are given to God in fullness of life. Friar Jude contrasts the full arms of the young man with the anawim of Yahweh.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, reflects from Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life (Jossey-Bass: 2011).
There is no practical or compelling reason to leave one’s present comfort zone in life. If it’s working for us, why would we? Nor can we force ourselves into the second stage of disorder (though we must certainly be open to it). Any conscious attempt to engineer or plan our own enlightenment is doomed to failure because it will be ego driven. We will try to “succeed” in the midst of our failure and “order” our time in disorder! But unexpected weaknesses, failure, and humiliation force us to go where we never would otherwise. We must stumble and be brought to our knees by reality. “God comes to you disguised as your life,” as my friend Paula D’Arcy wisely says. We must actually be out of the driver’s seat for a while, or we will never learn how to give up control to the Real Guide. It is the necessary pattern.7
The journey to fullness of life requires that we are released from ego that puts our needs before those who we are called to serve.
References
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