In our Gospel today, an eager and enthusiastic young man approaches Jesus, asking Jesus what he needs to do to inherit eternal life in God's kingdom. Yet, by the conclusion of today’s Gospel, his joy and enthusiasm are gone as he walks away in sadness. What exactly is the point of this Gospel that brings up issues of wealth and poverty, of where we place our confidence and our priorities in life?
As Christians, we're called to see the world through the lens of faith. We also see the world through the lens of our lives in modern America, which is very different indeed. Our perspective influences everything. Jesus told the young man that even though he follows God's commandments, he lacks one thing. The rich young man has many possessions that he does not want to part with. We hear this Gospel from our own perspective, but think of a person living in extreme poverty in rural Latin America or Africa, with a difficult time putting food on the table and supporting a family. That person would hear this Gospel message very differently.
We can get so accustomed to the comforts and possessions of our modern American lifestyle. As an accountant and as a priest, someone who is responsible for the budget and money flow of our parish, and all of you who have to manage your work and household budgets, we know that it is not easy. In recent years, you have heard Pope Francis scold his priests, telling us that he doesn’t want to see priests driving fancy cars or living in luxurious rectories, or living in a lifestyle that is beyond that of the people he serves. I believe the reason the Pope has taken such a stance is that he wants us priests to model Gospel simplicity and to model a lifestyle that identifies us as followers of Christ. In my 8 years as a lay missionary, I did not own a car. Try going a day or a week or a month without a car, and you’ll know what a challenge that is. It is something we all take for granted. As most of you know, on long trip, I would take the bus, and often across the country. I was recently looking at a journal entry I wrote while taking the Greyhound bus from Jackson to Winnipeg, Canada round trip – not a short trip to be sure. And while the average middle class American would not dream of taking a long trip on the Greyhound bus, I wrote in my journal entry about who I saw with me on the bus – an Amish family traveling to a wedding in Canada from their home in Pennsylvania, soldiers going home on leave, college students traveling back to school, immigrant laborers traveling to another part of the country to find work, and the man who sat next to me on the bus who had just found out that he was the father of a 9-year old son up in Canada whom he was traveling to meet for the very first time. Rather than looking at the negative and frustrating aspects of going on such a long bus journey, I let what I saw touch my heart and tried to take it all in. Perhaps our emphasis on possessions and comfort would keep us from benefiting from such experiences in our lives. In a similar way, our 2nd reading from the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us that God's word will go to the very depths of our hearts to change us only if we allow his word to work within us. If we invite God’s word into our lives, it will bring change, conversion, and renewal in ways we could not imagine.
If we treat our material possessions as idols, or if our material possessions are stumbling blocks in our lives like they were in the young man in the Gospel, our hearts will not be truly open to love God and love our neighbor. This month of October is dedicated to the respect of human life in our Church. As Pope Francis declared this to be the year of St Joseph, this year’s celebration of Respect Life Month highlights this great saint. St Joseph was the faithful protector of both Jesus and Mary; thus, the life of St Joseph reminds us of the way God calls us to welcome, safeguard, and defend the precious gift of human life that we receive from God.
Think of the challenging circumstances Joseph and Mary faced when Mary was found to be pregnant. Joseph could have abandoned her, yet, instead, he took her into his home in response to the message he received from the angel. Joseph brought them to safety in Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, finding them shelter and welcoming baby Jesus into his life as his son. When King Herod threatened their lives, St. Joseph left his homeland, fleeing with Jesus and Mary to safety in Egypt.
Like St. Joseph, all of us are also called to care for those God has entrusted to us, especially the most vulnerable. We are called to follow in the footsteps of St. Joseph, to also be protectors in advocating against those things that endanger human life. Our state of Mississippi is taking steps to challenge the laws of our land that permit abortion, with the case coming before the US Supreme Court on December 1 in the form of a Mississippi law that prohibits abortion after 15 weeks. We can imitate Joseph’s care and provision by helping parents and children in need. Like St Joseph, we can be supportive members of our parish and our community, helping to bring a spirit of faith and life to all that we do.
I think it is important to mention that there are many issues that are highlighted in pro-life month, respecting human life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death. This includes protecting the infant in the womb, the sick, the elderly, the mentally ill; it includes reaching out to the lonely, the prisoner, the hungry, and those battling addiction; it includes being good stewards of the environment, addressing access to housing and health care, and the rights and working conditions of the worker. There is a lot to Respect Life Month. It is not just about one issue.
I really love celebrating Respect Life Month each year in our parish communities here in the Diocese of Jackson. May we open our hearts to this pro-life message. May we open our hearts to the way God is calling out to us today.
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