Wisdom 7:7-11 Hebrews 4: 12-13 Mark 10; 17-30
“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
The message of this week’s gospel is very straightforward. When the man addressed this question to Jesus, Jesus said, “You know the commandments.” To which the man answered, “Teacher, all of these I have observed since my youth.” Then Jesus raises the bar and said, “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” For me, the essential message here is that while having faith is good, it must also be a faith that is accompanied by good works.
For each of us, putting our faith into action may look differently and it is not to say that one way is better than the other. While we work on following the commandments in our daily lives, how can we be of service to someone which takes us beyond our comfort zone? The first thought that may come to mind for most people is to give money to a cause. That may be one way of giving to the poor. Other ways that I have witnessed people giving to the “poor” at D’Youville are sharing a cheery hello or having a conversation with one or more of our residents who seldom have visitors. I have witnessed employees spend extra time with residents while on their breaks. They do it quietly and most people don’t realize it is happening. I have also seen employees helping each other by cleaning off each other’s cars in knee high snow after a long day at work. Then there is the person who takes the time to check in with a fellow employee who is struggling with a personal matter. These examples are endless.
The “poor” come to us in different ways. If we are a people of faith, are we aware of them around us. Are we ready to give of our time, our talents, our personhood, and on occasions our monetary means even when we feel that we have nothing to give in the moment? For many of us today, the word sacrifice may not be a part of our vocabulary as often as it could be. It is easy to become focused on oneself.
So this weekend, we are called to take another look at ourselves and ask, “What am I doing to inherit eternal life?” It is a question for people of all ages. It is a question that incorporates all aspects of our lives especially here at St. Mary’s Health System as we strive to live the mission.
This week (the week of October 14th) is Mission Week at St. Mary’s Health System. We will gather to celebrate the ways you live our mission each day. Please join us on Tuesday, October 16th (the feast day of St. Marguerite d’Youville) at 6 pm in the chapel at St. Mary’s Residences for Mass and to present the Marguerite d’Youville Awards for Respect, Excellence, Compassion and Stewardship to four amazing colleagues that you nominated for recognition.
Dan Doyon
Pastoral Care
Tags: Catholic, eternal life, having faith, heaven, Hebrews, mark, pastoral care, St. Mary's, St. Mary's Health System, st. mary's regional medical center, Sunday, sunday gospel, Sunday Scribes, twenty-eighth sunday of ordinary time, wisdom, word of the lord
