• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

The Passionists of Holy Cross Province

The Love that Compels

  • Online Masses
    • Passionist Online Masses and Services
  • 300th Jubilee
    • Opening Mass of the Passionist Jubilee Year
    • Video: 300th Jubilee – English
    • Video: Jubileo Pasionista – Español
    • Jubilee Icon Itinerary
    • Jubilee Resources
    • Jubilee Song
  • Pray
    • Lent 2021
    • Daily Reflections
    • Prayer Request
    • Sunday Homily
    • Passionist Spirituality and Prayer
    • Stations of the Cross
    • Prayer and Seasonal Cards
  • Grow
    • Journey into the Mystery of Christ Crucified
    • Celebrating the Feast of St. Paul of the Cross
    • Subscribe to E-News
    • Passionist Magazine
      • Passionist Magazine, Spring 2020
    • Passionist Ministries
      • Preaching
      • Hispanic Ministry
      • Haiti
      • Parish Life
      • Earth and Spirit Center
      • Education
      • Fr. Cedric Pisegna, CP, Live with Passion!
    • Retreat Centers
    • Passionist Solidarity Network
    • Vision Fulfillment Newsletters
    • Sacred Heart Monastery
      • History of Sacred Heart Monastery
      • A Day in the Life of Senior Passionists
      • “Pillars” of the Community
  • Join
    • Nicholas Divine, CP, Ordination to the Diaconate
    • Are You Being Called?
    • Discerning Your Call
    • Pray With Us
    • Passionist Vocation Directors
    • Lay Partnerships
  • Connect
    • Find a Passionist
    • Passionist Websites
    • Fr. Cedric Pisegna, CP, Live with Passion!
    • Passionist Alumni Association
      • Reunions
      • 2019 Passionist Alumni Reunion
      • Welcome
      • Letter from the Provincial
        • These Men We Call Our Brothers
      • Mission Statement
      • CrossRoads Bulletin
      • Alumni Enrollment Form
        • Alumni Survey
      • Reunion Photo Gallery
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Monthly Giving
    • Leave a Legacy
      • Giving Matters
      • Ways to Give
      • Donor Relations
      • Testimonials
    • Prayer and Seasonal Cards
    • Privacy Policy Statement
  • Learn
    • Our Founder
    • History
    • The Letters of St. Paul of the Cross
    • The Diary of St. Paul of the Cross
    • Mission and Charism
    • Saints and Blesseds
    • FAQs
    • Find a Passionist
    • STUDIES IN PASSIONIST HISTORY AND SPIRITUALITY
  • Safe Environments

Daily Scripture, August 19, 2019

Scripture:

Judges 2:11-19
Matthew 19:16-22

Reflection:

A young man approached Jesus and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?”
Matt. 19:16

Did you ever wonder if you are on the right path to eternal life? Do you worry whether you are doing all you can to inherit everlasting life? Do you become anxious about wondering whether you are doing all needs to be done to follow Jesus?

During Jesus’ ministry, he had to deal with these question or similar ones. Today’s Gospel encounter is found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. And there is a similar question posed to Jesus in the same three Gospels: What is the greatest commandment in the Law? Our questions and concerns for gaining everlasting life is as old as life itself!

This passage always reminds me of the old story of the two farm animals who had become friends, the hen and the pig. One morning the hen says, I will lay some eggs and we can have bacon and eggs for breakfast. The pig replies, for you, this is just involvement. But for me, it’s total commitment!

I believe that all of us are like the rich young man in today’s Gospel. We all have a deep longing to gain eternal life. We are constantly seeking ways to achieve our ultimate goal in life, getting to everlasting life. Most of us who are reading and reflecting on these scriptures and homilies are socially stable, have worked hard all our lives, are involved in our parishes and in ministry, attend retreats and do Holy Hours, go to confession regularly and strive to do all those things, like the rich young man, to gain eternal life.

The young man in today’s Gospel has followed the commands to the best of his abilities. And yet there is something lacking: “What do I still lack?” (In the other two Gospels, Jesus is the one who points out that there is still something lacking.)

This is when Jesus responds: go and sell what you have; give to the poor; follow me. The young man went away sad because he had many possessions.

This is when we take a deep breath and begin to ask ourselves, do our possessions own us or do we own our possessions. If we own our possessions, we can give them away. If they own us, we cannot.

What Jesus is reminding me in this passage is that it is easier to be involved, as difficult and sacrificial as that is, than to be totally committed to the following of Jesus. It also reminds me that discipleship or the following of Jesus is a journey.

By reading and reflecting and praying the Gospels, I begin to realize that I will always be asking the question, what must I do to gain eternal life and I will always get a response that challenges me to do more. I, like the rich young man, have many more possessions than I need. I can always give more to those in need and realize that I will always need God’s help to respond to discipleship with absolute commitment.

Just because I haven’t gotten there yet doesn’t mean that I must give up my quest of following Jesus. The first step toward total commitment to discipleship always begins with the unwavering desire to gain eternal life. If let go of my possessions, then God will do the rest!


Fr. Clemente Barrón, C.P. is a member of Mater Dolorosa Community in Sierra Madre, California. 

Footer

Facebook Feed

Support the Passionists

Contact the Passionists

The Passionists of Holy Cross Province
660 Busse Highway | Park Ridge, IL 60068
Tel: 847.518.8844 | Toll-free: 800.295.9048 | Fax: 847.518.0461
Safe Environments | Board Member Portal | Copyright © 2021 | Log in