Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,
“You are lacking in one thing.
Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

Mark 10:21

Mark 10:17-30 or 10:17-27

Reflection

Did the man ever sell his possessions and come back to follow Jesus? We might never know, yet that is what we are called to do by Jesus today. This man has obeyed all the commandments and is looking for some final fulfillment, which Jesus says will occur when he sells his belongings and follows the Lord. However, the man becomes discouraged at this and leaves Jesus.

There are many things we all hold on to that keep us from fully following Jesus, whether they are material goods or not. It may be financial wealth, social media obsession, popularity among friends, addictions, or simply love for the world that weigh us down and separate us from Jesus.

In the Gospel, Jesus looked at the man and loved him. He saw goodness and the desire to obey the commandments in this man. Jesus does the same to us – he sees us as we are and loves us! Even with our faults, he will never stop loving us. Yet in order to enter the kingdom of heaven, we have to be willing to give up all we have, especially those things we’re particularly attached to. This can be excruciatingly difficult, but if we love Jesus and let him help us, we can let go and truly follow him.

We don’t know if the man did as Jesus asked, but today, we can take up Jesus’ command and start on the journey towards heaven. Ask Jesus for his assistance – remember, he looks at you, loves you, and wants you to follow him.

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Saint of the Day

St. Edward the Confessor: 1003-1066

St. Edward became king of England in 1042 and was known as a benevolent and pious leader. He is the only English king to be canonized.

St. Edward the Confessor, pray for us!