//THE HEART’S TRUE HOME

THE HEART’S TRUE HOME

Bishop Robert Barron is the Catholic shepherd of a small diocese in Minnesota, a place many might struggle to locate on a map.  Yet, he is recognized internationally and respected both within and outside the Church, primarily because he is an effective communicator.  His ability to teach the doctrines of our faith is both understandable and accessible.  His homilies are precise and relatable, and he has pioneered creative ways to engage with the culture and share the message of the Catholic faith through his media apostolate, “Word on Fire.” It’s not unusual to see him interviewed alongside actors, politicians, and media personalities—many of whom have sought his spiritual guidance before and after the cameras roll.  His insights are highly valued, especially during significant events; for instance, he recently addressed the controversy surrounding the opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympics, which featured a blasphemous depiction of the Last Supper.

Thanks so much for stopping by to read this homily for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time – October 13, 2024.  I appreciate your sharing this on your social media posts and your feedback and comments…  I’m also grateful for all those who’ve asked for the audio version and share them as well at SOUNDCLOUD click HERE or from ITUNES as a podcast HERE.  May the Lord be glorified in your reading and sharing- Father Jim

Given his many engagements, it’s surprising that one of the more controversial topics he discussed involved the question from today’s Gospel: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Bishop Barron wrote a foreword for a book entitled Dare We Hope That All Men Should Be Saved?  which tackles themes of heaven, hell, purgatory, and the nature of salvation.  In that essay, Bishop Barron made the assertion that there is “reasonable hope” that all people could be saved, which sparked a wide range of reactions.  Some labeled him heretical, arguing that Jesus stated, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6), emphasizing that He did not say He was “a way” or “a truth.” Critics questioned if this is true, why they should attend Mass or any of the sacraments if a Non-Catholic, Non-Christian, Atheist, or even one of the most notorious figures might enter heaven.

Others had the complete opposite reaction, hailing this view as a breakthrough, advocating for a focus on shared values among all people of goodwill, urging us to be good and kind without fixating on rules or traditions.

Both extreme reactions, however, missed the point.

They approached Bishop Barron’s statement from their narrow perspectives, failing to recognize as they ran off with their assumptions what he was arguing for in expressing this”reasonable hope.” At the heart of our Catholic faith lies the belief that God the Father loves the world so deeply that He goes to the most extraordinary lengths to save us from sin and death.  He offered us His most precious gift— His Son, Jesus— who went to hell and back (literally and figuratively) as He suffered and died on the cross to save us.  The magnitude of God’s love and mercy is astounding, especially when we reflect on the lengths He has gone to for each of us.

We cannot fully grasp the tremendous depth of this love, but we do know that it stems from God’s single greatest desire to save all humanity.  So by “reasonable hope,” Bishop Barron suggests we can’t dismiss the possibility that the salvation Jesus won for us can reach even those who seem distant from Him.   At the same time, this is not meant to imply false hope or guarantee salvation.

We encounter this debate in a particular way with this Gospel reading from St. Mark.  We hear of this man, who when we find the same episode in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, adds more details that he is dubbed as “the Rich Young Man.”  He asks, “…What must I do to inherit eternal life?”  You have to hand it to him.  He cuts right to the chase – there’s no pleasantries, niceties, or beating around the bush.  He poses the question of questions.  The question that transcends every culture, every philosophy, every religion, and every age:  How do I live forever?  

Just like the Bishop Barron comment drove some to the extremes to propose all kinds of mistaken notions, many have similarly misunderstood this episode.  No, this is not Jesus slamming those who are wealthy, There were plenty of disciples of Jesus who were rich and, in fact, generous in sharing those gifts so the Church would continue the mission Jesus entrusted to her.   Nor is it advocating for some form of Marxist, Communist ideology where people shouldn’t be able to have any possessions in order to be a disciple.

At the heart of this Gospel is the line, “Jesus looking at him, loved him and said to him, ‘You are lacking in one thing.'” Jesus is laser-like focused on this young man’s heart, who he sees as thoughtful and responsible.  Just that the guy’s vision extends past the here and now and into eternity shows that there’s a maturity to his faith, and as Jesus goes through all of the commandments that God had given in terms of how to treat other people, the young man demonstrates that he has been obedient in following them.

But there’s something that the young man couldn’t shake.  The sense that just being nice and a good person wasn’t enough.  Something was missing.    Jesus looking at him, loved him…  God loved – and loves us first.  He always takes the initiative.  For this young man, Jesus is pointing out what he was missing, what he was lacking, which was that he wasn’t looking at God and loving Him in return.   Sure, he has been obedient to the commandments, to most of them, but when it came to who or rather what his god was, it wasn’t the Lord God.    It was his wealth.  It was his possessions.  He was, in a sense, treating the Lord God as his insurance policy, where he was making sure to check off all the obligations and things he needed to “do” and ensure his place in eternity.  He doesn’t realize that his possessions have possessed him.  He can’t see it now – maybe because of his youth – but ultimately, this ‘god’ he had made of wealth and possessions that he thought he was balancing effectively with his obligations would make more and more demands on him.

Jesus demonstrates this to him when he invites him to sell all of those things and follow Him.  He wants the guy to see his reaction when he tells him to let go of the thing he was most protective of, the thing he saw his security in, that he was actively pursuing and even desiring more of.

This challenge from Jesus reveals the depth of His love and the radical nature of discipleship.  By inviting the young man to sell everything, Jesus isn’t giving him another task to complete on his checklist – nor is He suggesting a life of poverty.  Jesus is asking for a complete reorientation of the young man’s heart.  It’s about recognizing who or what truly holds the first place in our lives.

We often think of discipleship as a list of rules to follow or sacrifices to make.  But here, Jesus is inviting the young man—and us—into a relationship.  Discipleship is fundamentally about love, trust, and surrender.  It’s about letting go of anything that stands between us and a deeper connection with God.  Jesus loves this young man enough to confront him with the truth of his attachment to wealth.

What are the attachments in our lives?  What do we cling to that is hindering our relationship with God?  Is it a sin we’ve been struggling with or, in all honesty, have stopped struggling with – we just accept this addiction to drugs, alcohol, pornography.   Maybe it’s the pursuit of fame, power or influence.   It could be something that isn’t even necessarily sinful – like maybe our career ambitions, our reputations, even sometimes a relationship can become an idol.

It can be challenging to put ourselves in this young man’s position and imagine that something is lacking in our pursuit of God… that there is someone, something (or more than a someone and a few somethings) that occupies a greater space in my life than I realized… That is hindering my relationship with God and serving Him and His people.  Jesus’ call is radical because He demands all our hearts, souls and minds – because that’s how He has loved us.

All of this can leave us like the apostles were “exceedingly astonished,” thinking it’s not possible.  But we know that as much as they struggled and sometimes failed themselves, the apostles kept trying, pursued Jesus, and always found His love and gaze on them unwavering… Just as it was with this young man.  Jesus, by issuing this high call, is revealing that he’s not just rich in possessions, he’s rich in potential.  His adherence to the commandments demonstrated that he’s diligently sought God, yet he’s stuck at the threshold of true discipleship.  While the episode ends seemingly on a negative note, we’re not sure what ever became of the rich young man.  Some scholars speculate that the rich young man might actually be St. Mark himself since it seems like he’s revealing that by saying, “he went away sad, for he had many possessions.” If this was just some random anonymous man, how would they be able to know that?  That’s the kind of assessment that sounds like a testimony.   Whether or not that’s the case – Jesus wasn’t putting a now or never expiration on his invitation.

This leads us back to Bishop Barron’s broader message of hope.  Instead of fixating on what’s going to happen to non-believers or whoever it is that we distract ourselves with from doing the difficult introspection that can come from this, we are meant to embrace it from our vantage points.  We can dare to hope for the salvation of all, including ourselves, because God’s love is greater than any barrier we can construct.  It’s a love that reaches out, seeks to redeem, and invites us into relationship.  While we may not fully comprehend how this all works, we can trust that God’s mercy is expansive and inclusive.  Which – quite simply – Thank God for that… Especially as we reflect on how we respond to Jesus’ invitation ourselves: Do we follow Him wholeheartedly, even when it requires sacrifice?  Are we ready to let go of our own attachments and trust that God will provide?

The tension we feel when we ponder those questions brings to mind one of St. Augustine’s most enduring sayings “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”  This is the restlessness he’s speaking of – the yearning for God, but the struggle to detach from all that is not of Him.  Just as Jesus looked upon the rich young man with love, He gazes upon each of us, inviting us to examine our hearts. Are we willing to let go of the things that hinder our relationship with Him? In the face of our own distractions and desires, may we choose to respond with trust, knowing that true fulfillment lies not in our possessions but in our surrender to His will.