Memorial of the
Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(Judges 2:11-19; Matthew 19:23-30)
“Bear” Bryant, the football coach, won the reputation of being
a harsh and successful taskmaster. His
players were notoriously slim, not because they didn’t eat but because he
trained them so hard. Coach Bryant’s
teams won six national titles in his twenty-five years as the head coach at the
University of Alabama. In today’s gospel
Jesus presents himself similarly as the one who leads his disciples to their
goal.
The passage challenges its readers. It seems to indicate that the sure way to
eternal life is to renounce wealth and follow Jesus. It may be asked then, “Are only vowed
religious guaranteed a place in heaven?”
An affirmative answer here is faulty on two levels. First, it misses Jesus’ point that eternal
life is not so much a matter of being destitute but of following him. True, the young man in question is ostensibly
called to poverty, but more generally the sine
qua non of eternal life is adherence to Jesus, not forfeiting
possessions. Also, taking a vow of
poverty or even living in radical poverty does not necessarily mean having a
virtuous life. Again, eternal life is a
matter of taking one’s cues from Jesus.
But we should not be overly consoled by the understanding
that renunciation of wealth is not absolutely necessary for eternal life. The rich very often find their greatest satisfaction
in what they can do for themselves and not in what God does for them. Such a stance is incongruent with following
Jesus.
