You are Lacking in One Thing

10-14-2018Weekly ReflectionFr. Julius Kundi

I think today’s readings pose a serious challenge for those of us who do go to church. I mean we who have responded positively to follow Jesus Christ the Lord. Like the man in the Gospel who has fulfilled every letter of the law, and wants to know what he needs to do to get everlasting life, we too are challenged to know what we need to put in order more than just showing up at church every Sunday.

Wisdom is surely the theme that we are invited to reflect on today. Yes, Divine Wisdom! Probably that may be the only one thing still lacking for some of us to earn eternal life. The first reading, from the Book of Wisdom, tells of the prayer of someone seeking wisdom. In the prayer, Wisdom is preferred above gold and silver. Indeed, with wisdom, our values can change and the “everything” that we want will no longer be the same. We see this change of values in almost all of the lives of the saints. There is gradual or a fast shift from looking for the goods and the values of this world to seeking only what God wants of us.

Whenever we come together as a church to pray, what do we ask? I stand to be corrected, but most of us pray for things for which we feel the need for God’s help. Most of us pray for a bad situation to end or for help with a problem. That’s a great thing because we need God’s help in everything that we do. But how many of us pray for wisdom? How many of us measure our wealth not in dollars and security, but in wisdom, friendships, or in the knowledge of God’s love for us? I think most of us would like to think that we do but, if we look very closely, I think we would recognize the need to grow more in this area. Such was the tragic encounter of the young rich man with Jesus. The only time in all the Gospels that someone who was called by Jesus went away sad.

We need divine wisdom to understand that to fully follow God’s call to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him through service of those in need, means giving up some of the things that actually have control over our lives. Truly, the things we need to sacrifice are the things that keep us from experiencing God’s love and from answering the call to spread this love. So much of our culture tells us to do what feels good, to acquire certain things that give us a sense of instant gratification, and to just do our own thing. But what is happiness for the Christian if not doing God’s will and not our own? What is wealth for the Christian if not having just what God wants us to have? Think of this rich young man who really strives to live his faith in every aspect of his life; who is willing to do everything for Jesus but does not love Him enough to give up all that he had.

Yes, you are still lacking one thing. Wisdom! Let us pray for this spiritual gift today. With God's grace we will be able to give up everything for the Lord. With God’s grace we will continue the spiritual struggle. With God’s grace we are able to trust totally in a God who has given His love to us and invites us to share His life. May the Lord fill us with love and joy!

Fr. Julius

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