03.03.25 Jika Saja dia Berkata Ya: Alternatif Kisah Sang Pemuda Kaya

Monday 8th week in ordinary time "Mk 10:17-27" A man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "You know the commandments: 'Do not kill, Do not commit adultery...'" And he said to him, "Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth." And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." At that saying his countenance fell, and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions. We can't help feeling sorry for this young man who had been chosen personally by Jesus to follow Him and become an Apostle. The Gospel says that Jesus, "looking upon him, loved him," but he didn't want to follow Jesus. Perhaps afterwards he tried to convince himself that he was right: that selling all his sheep, cattle and fields and giving the money to the poor would have been crazy; that leaving everything to follow that man without knowing where they were going would be nonsense. Maybe a couple of years later someone came to the village with the news that Jesus had been crucified - and he thought, 'You see? I was right!'; perhaps a few months later he heard that some said He had risen from the dead and was alive... And he hesitated. But a few years afterwards he heard about the persecutions and Christians running away and probably thought again that he'd made the right decision. At the end of his life he contemplated his possessions and achievements but could not forget that one day, many years before, Jesus wanted to change his life, to make him an Apostle, but he said no... But the story could have a different ending. Perhaps, after a few weeks hesitating he thought, 'I don't want to spend the rest of my life worried about my cattle and fields and money! Jesus needs me; there are people waiting for me... I can change the course of history with Him!' And he left everything and went after Jesus, became an Apostle and is now in Heaven helping souls to be generous with God to become the Apostles of the 21st century... Holy Mary, Queen of the Apostles, help me to be generous, to forget about my things and my comfort - and to follow your Son.