One Thing More

By Sr Amy McFrederick ~ May 26, 2008

This morning as I prayed with these scriptures, they seemed to be about the testing and reward of our faith.  Peter reminds us that our faith is tested by our troubles, and the Gospel reminds us that our faith is also tested by good things—things that we easily can become attached to, and then suffer in the ‘letting go’ of them in order to respond to Jesus’ call to greater intimacy and fulfillment in the community of His faithful followers and co-workers.  Both testings, when suffered with faith and fidelity, produce a genuine faith and joy.

Let’s re-imagine this Gospel story with ourselves identifying with the man who had many possessions.  Imagine that Jesus came visibly come into your room for a personal private visit. What would you most like to talk to Him about?  What questions would you ask him? What favors might you request?  Remembering that—When we ask Jesus a question, listen and accept His answer, we learn a truth that will set us free.  But it may not be what we expect or want to hear—like the young man in today’s gospel. When he asked Jesus a question that is very important to all of us…what must one do to inherit eternal life?  Can’t you imagine the young man’s disappointment, maybe even shock and annoyance at Jesus’ response.  “You are lacking in one thing…”  “There is one thing more you must do…”  What if Jesus said that to us?  What would He be referring to?  And what would our first reaction be?

The young man didn’t get beyond his immediate reaction. Nor did he go on to reflect on the truth, the invitation, the wisdom being offered him.  Jesus took the time to look at the rich young man with understanding, and  loved him enough to tell him what he needed to do to truly be free, and to have eternal life when he invited him to leave everything and follow Him—to be Jesus’ disciple, companion and friend—that’s eternal life.  In the Gospel of John 17:3 Jesus prayed:  “Eternal life is this: to know You, the only true God, and the one whom you have sent, Jesus Christ.”  What one thing kept the young man from receiving such a gift? Was it attachment to things, to the familiar, to the comfortable?  Did he expect something else of Jesus?  What about us?

Jesus loves each of us deeply and longs to look at us lovingly and tell us what “one more thing” we need to do to have it all.  Giving up wealth and possessions may not be the “one more thing” that He will ask of us.  It may be an inconvenience of adjusting to unwanted change, or illness, brokenness, being with others who rub us wrong. For each of us it’s probably something different.  We are invited by today’s Gospel to stand before our Lord and ask what that “one more thing” might be for each of us and reflect on it then act accordingly. It is scary to do this. What might be asked of us that would make our face fall? We pray that today, in the confidence that “with God all things are possible” and further bolstered by the assurance that God delivers and preserves us, we will all be able to approach Jesus with confidence and ask Him to show us what “one thing” that may be standing in the way of us more fully entering into the salvation and abundant life, the fuller and more effective service, that He so lovingly and faithfully offers to us.

Another word about the young man’s turning away, possibly in annoyance as well as in disappointment. There are many amazing personal stories of people who worked in the twin towers in New York who are still alive today because of what could have been an annoying delay on 9/11 that made them late for work —one because it was his turn to bring donuts to the office; one who wore his new shoes and walked to work, got a blister and stopped at a drugstore to get a band-aid, one was late for work because his child was starting kindergarten that day. We may react with irritation to the little interruptions that delay us. But we never know if it may be God saving us from something or blessing us with life.  Just ‘one thing’ more! Philip Neri is quoted to say: “I will have no sad spirits in my house.  Cheerful people are more easily led to perfection.”