Daily Gospel Reflection
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August 17, 2020
A young man approached Jesus and said, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother; also, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
The young man said to him, “I have kept all these; what do I still lack?”
Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”
When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
I teach in a Catholic high school and I once mentored a young man who was a truly excellent human being. He went on to study at Notre Dame and landed a prestigious position at an investment banking firm after graduation. We were both at Notre Dame for a home football game one fall and we met to catch up.
He told me that he really didn’t feel fulfilled in his current job. The money was very good, but he spent most of his time putting together presentations on potential acquisitions for other people to present to high level decision-makers. He mentioned that he often thought about leaving his job and getting a master’s degree in education so that he could teach and coach. His plan was just to make enough money first so that he wouldn’t have to worry about finances once he left the business world.
“Why not just take the leap now?” I asked him. “When do you imagine that you will have enough money to not worry about money?” He thought about this for a while and replied, “Well, what if I have kids and I want to send them to Notre Dame? I would want to be able to afford to do something like that.” I nodded and calmly talked through some aspects of discernment and vocation that I thought would be good for him to hear. But in my head I thought, “Oh brother, you are never leaving investment banking.”
He is literally a rich young man (although I would not want to invite the comparison between myself and Jesus). How hard it is to walk away from the security of material wealth! There is nothing wrong with investment banking, or making good money, or even paying full tuition to send your kids to Notre Dame. And, based on the strength of this young man’s character, I know that he can find meaning and purpose in his career if he stays in it, probably even transforming it for the better because of his presence. So the most salient point of comparison is the fact that he, like the young man in the gospel, was longing for something more than the material success he had achieved.
This is the crux of this gospel for me. A vanishingly small number of us who hear this gospel will actually sell all our possessions. But we can realize that there is more to life than material success. In order to reach for something more, we have to let go of self-reliance and material security. If we do this, we will be more free to follow Christ.
Prayer
Father in heaven, we give you thanks for the many blessings you bestow upon us. Like the rich man we too can struggle with our attachment to the treasures of this life. As we strive to live in ever greater conformity to your Son, help us to free ourselves from worldly possessions. Then, free from those attachments, make us ready for that day when he will return in glory to reign with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Clare of Montefalco led a convent in 13th century Italy, and did so with such holiness that she inspired many to seek perfection by imitating her example.
As a young woman, Clare gathered with a number of her own sisters and friends to live in Christian community together. They adopted a rule of life based on the Franciscan order, and one of Clare’s sisters was later chosen to lead a convent in Montefalco, Italy, under the Augustinian rule of religious life.
When her sister died, Clare, already known for her holiness, was asked to lead the community. Her devotion and personal prayer inspired the community to greater faithfulness.
Miracles were attributed to her as well as supernatural gifts and capacities, which she used to serve others. She had a great devotion to the suffering and death of Jesus and told a sister, “If you seek the cross of Christ, take my heart; there you will find the suffering Lord.” After her death, her community was in the process of removing her heart to place it in a reliquary (a practice not uncommon at the time), when they discovered that the muscle fibers of her heart held a perfect image of Jesus on the cross.
She died in 1308, and her body remained incorruptible—in 1881, a visiting reporter beheld her face and hands and noted that she appeared to be simply asleep. Her relics rest in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.
St. Clare of Montefalco, your physical heart was found to bear the image of the crucifixion—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Clare of Montefalco is in the public domain. Last accessed March 27, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
