This gospel is telling us a sad reality: the possibility to renounce our happiness, and to find ourselves far from God, terribly regretful. This is the experience of the young man that approaches Jesus to ask what to do in order to merit eternal life. After listening to Jesus, “he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.” It is interesting to notice that this guy is a good person. He knows the law and he is committed also to practice it. He is not a criminal or a sinner, or a dishonest person. Yet, he is attached to something, his riches, which have the power to take the place of God in his heart. It is for this reason that he goes away, and, say the gospel, sadly.

Our goods are important to living. We are living in this world and so we make use of many things which help and ease our daily life. Money is also necessary as a tool for getting services and things we need. We cannot think to get rid of money and goods. At the same time, Jesus is telling us that all our riches can take the place of God in our hearts. Mainly because we can fall into the temptation of believing that that car, that dress, that cosmetics, that television, that cellphone… one day will become the everlasting source of our happiness. Jesus is not against the things we possess but makes us aware of the risk to think that all those things can replace Him in our hearts. Through this gospel, Jesus seems to tell us: “put me at the first place in your hearts and you will see your life becoming meaningful and worth to be lived. Then, make use of the goods you need, but keep looking at them as tools, rather than the aim of your life!”

Since the beginning of the church, manly people have understood very well this gospel. They realized that our desire is so deep, broad, and infinite, that nothing in this world can fulfill it. They were aware that nobody and nothing can replace the happiness that only God can provide. They realized that everything, in the end, becomes boring, and also that all those goods, one day, will be taken away from us. It is for this reason that they thought about consecrated life, a life that intentionally puts God in the first place as their only good. Consecrated people, therefore, can leave their countries, postpone the idea of getting married and having their own families, renounced to riches and their personal programs, not for heroic and ascetical purposes, but just because they are aware that by cannot entrust their happiness to something or someone in this world: only God can fill the void of our infinite desire.

Not all are called to consecrated life, but everybody can take advantage of the example of consecrated people, who remind us that our goods and riches are only tools, whereas only God is the source of our happiness. And when we start feeling attached to something or someone, let us have the courage to cut those bonds, to go back to Him, to be happy. St. Francis of Assisi did it. Having God and his hundredfold, he dared to leave behind everything. He became poor because, in reality, he was the richest person on earth: his possession was his Father, God.