Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?

20 AUGUST (Mt 19,16-22)

The Ancient Scripture always reminds us of God’s goodness, his mercy, his compassion, his forgiveness, and his will, which are of only goodness towards all. The Lord is the source of all good. Who wants to be good must draw the goodness from Him. The same is also true for every other virtue. Everything stems from him. Everything is a gift of love.

To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in You I trust, Do not let me be ashamed; Do not let my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed; Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed. Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day. Remember, O LORD, Your compassion and Your loving kindnesses, For they have been from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; According to Your loving-kindness remember me, For Your goodness’ sake, O LORD. Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in justice, And He teaches the humble His way. All the paths of the LORD are loving-kindness and truth To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies. For Your name’s sake, O LORD, Pardon my iniquity, for it is great. Who is the man who fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way he should choose. His soul will abide in prosperity, And his descendants will inherit the land. The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant. My eyes are continually toward the LORD, For He will pluck my feet out of the net. Turn to me and be gracious to me, For I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged; Bring me out of my distresses. Look upon my affliction and my trouble, And forgive all my sins. Look upon my enemies, for they are many, And they hate me with violent hatred. Guard my soul and deliver me; Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You. Redeem Israel, O God, Out of all his troubles. (Psalm 25 (24) 1-22).

Today a man asks Jesus what good he must do to have eternal life. He answers that only the Lord is good. If the Lord is good, we must draw from the Lord the law of all goodness for man. In the Old Testament the Lord has already given the Law of goodness. This Law has a name: it is his Commandments. Good is the one who observes the Commandments. Who does not observe them is not good. Since goodness is the way to eternal life, never might who does not observe the Law of God have eternal life. He will perish in eternal death. He did not live according to the Law of goodness.

Now someone approached him and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He asked him, “Which ones?” And Jesus replied, ” ‘You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother’; and ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself.'” The young man said to him, “All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to (the) poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus came to fulfill this Law of goodness. Now there is another Law that he came to teach. There is a perfection to be attained on earth and in heaven. One sells his possessions, and gives the money raised to the poor to have a treasure in heaven. Then he comes and follows the Master to reach the perfection of life on earth and in heaven. The highest perfection demands the highest renunciation. The more one is able to leave and the more he can acquire. The less one leaves and the less he acquires. The less one gives and the less he receives. The whole of man for the whole of God. The little of man for the little of God.

This rich man who was looking for a way of goodness to reach eternal life, as he hears the proposal of Jesus, he goes away, sad. He had many riches. He had wanted an easy way, without any renunciation, any sacrifice, including inner and outer freedom. Many are those who think this way, who want everything without spending anything. The error of our society today is right this: wanting the most from God and from men, without giving anything. We expect the maximum fruiting, without us spend anything in plantation.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels, and Saints give us a true thought.