In this Gospel passage, a young man is told that to have eternal life, he should sell his stuff and follow Jesus. That’s a big ask. It’s something that scares me and seems impractical. I would be a burden to others who would have to house and feed me at the very least.
I suspect my reaction is because that kind of radical response is not my calling. I have met people who have a call to voluntary poverty. I don’t think I’m one of them. I do think it’s a reminder to not cling too tightly to the things of this world, both physical items and attitudes.
Having children and pets has helped me let go of some of it. A decent amount of my stuff has been wrecked by a dog that likes to chew or a kid with butterfingers. Getting angry at the broken bowl or chewed up kitchen towel and acting on that anger is not following Jesus. The same is true for beliefs. Holding onto a negative perception of a person or gripping the hurt I have experienced by another isn’t following Jesus either. Jesus taught us to love others and forgive them.
Maybe it’s those types of things Jesus was talking about in the Gospel. Maybe he’s not asking me to live in a refrigerator box on the sidewalk but rather to loosen my grip on the things and attitudes that keep me from union with him.
En este pasaje del Evangelio, a un joven se le dice que para tener vida eterna debe vender sus cosas y seguir a Jesús. Eso es un pedido enorme. Es algo que me asusta y me parece poco práctico. Yo sería una carga para otros que tendrían que albergarme y alimentarme por lo mínimo.
Sospecho que mi reacción se debe a que ese tipo de respuesta radical no es mi vocación. He conocido a personas que tienen un llamado a la pobreza voluntaria. No creo que yo sea uno de ellos. Creo que es un recordatorio de no aferrarnos demasiado a las cosas de este mundo, tanto cosas físicas como actitudes.
Tener hijos y mascotas me ha ayudado a dejar de lado un poco de eso. Una cantidad decente de mis cosas ha sido destrozada por un perro al que le gusta masticar o un niño con dedos de mantequilla. Enojarse por un plato roto o una toalla de cocina masticada y actuar basándose en ese enojo no es seguir a Jesús. Lo mismo ocurre con las creencias. Aferrarme a una percepción negativa de una persona o aferrarme al dolor que he experimentado por otra persona tampoco es seguir a Jesús. Jesús nos enseñó a amar a los demás y perdonarlos.
Tal vez sean ese tipo de cosas de las que Jesús hablaba en el Evangelio. Tal vez no me esté pidiendo que viva en una caja de cartón en la vereda, sino más bien que suelte las cosas y actitudes que me impiden unirme a él.
Merridith Frediani loves words and is delighted by good sentences. She also loves Lake Michigan, dahlias, the first sip of hot coffee in the morning, millennials, and playing Sheepshead with her husband and three kids. She writes for Catholic Mom, Diocesan.com, and her local Catholic Herald. Her first book Draw Close to Jesus: A Woman’s Guide to Adoration is available at Our Sunday Visitor and Amazon. You can learn more at merridithfrediani.com.
Feature Image Credit: Maude Frédérique Lavoie, unsplash.com/photos/blue-and-white-textile-on-white-textile-EDSTj4kCUcw