Whenever I read this Sunday’s Gospel reflection about the rich young man who “went away sad for he had many possessions” (Mark 10:22), it gives me a feeling of dread: “Oh no, not this one again, Lord. I can’t possibly sell everything! Am I doomed?” But then I calm down and remind myself that Jesus was calling this specific person to a life of poverty. He doesn’t call all of us to an ascetic life. Similar to celibacy, not all people are called to take vows of poverty, although some are called to this life and it is a beautiful gift to God.
All that said, we aren’t off the hook here, either. We are all called to avoid being overly attached to the things of this world. Even good things like relationships, ideas, activities, and material goods can trip us up if we have an unhealthy attachment to them. Most harmfully, they can get in the way of our relationship with God. The man in today’s reading was eager to learn from Jesus; he even ran up to Him to ask his question! But in the end, he was too attached to earthly things and missed an opportunity for true discipleship. Imagine, could he have ended up being an apostle?
You could imagine your heart being a room. Jesus lives in your heart, but if it’s too cluttered with things that don’t belong there or are taking up too much room, then it is difficult to encounter Christ and become attached to Him. You could think of detachment like spring cleaning for your heart (or maybe “fall cleaning” since it’s October). A good key to detachment is this: no object should be more important than a person, and no person should be more important to you than God.
You can start with the easy part: material things. What might be cluttering up your home that you could donate to the poor? How about your schedule? Is it overly busy or crowded with too many responsibilities? Are you doing so much for your work, family, or even the Church so that you are not spending quality heart-to-heart time with Jesus? How about your relationships, are they healthy and properly ordered? This week, consider how you can let go of some things to make room for Christ. I promise, it isn’t scary. Jesus will be right there with you.
Readings for October 10, 2021, 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
- Wisdom 7:7-11
- Psalm 90: 12-17
- Hebrews 4:12-13
- Mark 10:17-30