Saint John Eudes, Priest (Optional Memorial)

What do I still lack?

The young man who approached Jesus in today’s Gospel was already following the commandments and trying to live a good life. But he wanted to know what more he must do to gain eternal life. So he asked Jesus, “What do I still lack?” (Matthew 19:20).

A better question might have been “Whom do I still lack?” In fact, it was Jesus this young man was lacking. That’s why the Lord instructed him to sell all that he had and to “Come, follow me” (Matthew 19:21). Unfortunately, while this man was sincerely seeking to live a righteous life, he couldn’t accept Jesus’ invitation. His possessions were an obstacle to his becoming a disciple.

Jesus asked the man to join him because he wanted a personal relationship with him. He wanted to become his “pearl of great price”—worth more to this man than all his earthly treasures (Matthew 13:46). But the young man valued his possessions too highly. He couldn’t see how a relationship with Jesus outshone all of them.

We, too, may have certain “treasures” that keep us from following Jesus. Perhaps a preoccupation with our job is keeping us from focusing on him. Maybe we really do have too many possessions, and their upkeep demands too much of our time and attention. Or maybe we give more time and effort to a hobby or a sport than we do to prayer.

God made us for a relationship with him. He knows that we are most fully ourselves, most fully human, most fully satisfied when we are close to him. This is what the man in today’s Gospel was searching for, even if he couldn’t make the leap of faith that Jesus was asking of him.

Don’t let that happen to you! Jesus is just as present to you as he was to that young man on the road. He is inviting you—each and every day—to come to a deeper relationship with him. So if something is holding you back, be willing to let it go. Then take Jesus up on his invitation. Go and encounter him—in the Scriptures, in the sacraments, and in the silence of prayer. He is waiting for you!

“Lord Jesus, I want to follow you—today and always!”

Ezekiel 24:15-23
(Psalm) Deuteronomy 32:18-21
Matthew 19:16-22