Message of Abbot Paul - Monday 21st August 2023

Today the Church remembers Pope St Pius X, a saint I came to know and love when I was taken as a small boy to visit the village and the house where he was born at Riese in the Veneto region of Italy. One of my aunts, Zia Luciana, lived in Padua for many years and part of my summer holiday was always spent with her, the very best of all Italian chefs I have ever known, and this meant the excitement of many trips all over that most wonderful part of northern Italy. San Pio Decimo was born to a very poor farming family and was a true pastor, even as Pope, like many other popes before and after him, Pope St John XXIII, Pope John Paul I and Pope Francis come to mind, devout men close to the heart of Jesus and who could speak to the hearts of ordinary people, struggling to keep alive, to look after their families and live obedient to the law of the love of God.

 

​Today’s Gospel reading comes again from Matthew, (Mt 19: 16-22), and tells of Jesus’ encounter with the “rich young man.” You know the story well, but here it is to refresh our memories. “There was a man who came to Jesus and asked, ‘Master, what good deed must I do to possess eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you ask me about what is good? There is one alone who is good. But if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.’ He said, ‘Which?’ ‘These:’ Jesus replied ‘You must not kill. You must not commit adultery. You must not bring false witness. Honour your father and mother, and: you must love your neighbour as yourself.’ The young man said to him, ‘I have kept all these. What more do I need to do?’ Jesus said, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go and sell what you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ But when the young man heard these words, he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.”

 

​I should imagine that many people came to Jesus to ask him that question. It’s the fundamental question we all ask. What must I do to enter the kingdom of heaven? I don’t think we’re so proud as to want to possess eternal life, so much as to be granted it and enjoy it. As far as Jesus is concerned, the answer if very simple, “Keep the commandments.” In other words, be obedient to the will of God. He could have said, “Follow my example.” Strange that the young man should ask which of the commandments. Surely, we can’t just pick and choose. Jesus lists five, the last of which is not one of the original ten, but rather a more general commandment found several times in Scripture. The young man’s answer takes us aback. Could you say what he said? I couldn’t, I can assure you. If only I had kept all the commandments. I’ve tried to, but at times failed. Haven’t we all? So, Jesus goes further. “You want to be perfect? Sell all you have. Give the money to the poor, then come, follow me.” That’s a step far too far for the young man, and with sadness in his heart, though not enough to convert him, he goes away. He was indeed very rich in that he already considered himself to be perfect, but what Jesus asked of him he was not prepared to do. Jesus always asks us to go one step further than we had hoped or planned. We must be prepared for that and follow the example of the saints by doing what Jesus asks of us.