Our Own Special Sin

In today's Gospel reading (Matt. 19: 16-26), the rich young ruler turns away from Christ because his love for riches is too great to trade even for the promise of eternal life. In his homily Sunday, Abp. Irineos warns that this is not just a cautionary tale about riches, but that any sin can take hold of us to such a degree that it can cause us to turn away from Christ. Instead, Abp. Irineos urges the faithful to take the first step to war against the passions, trusting that God will supply what we lack to make the impossible possible.