Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time - B October 11, 2009

Wisdom 7: 7-11 Hebrew 4: 12-13 Mark 10: 17-27

For about an hour, one afternoon this past week, I spent time removing dead and dying petunia plants from in front of Mary’s Shrine in the parish yard. Other than the number of plants which were involved - which were many - it was a relatively easy task. The plants have rather short roots. They are not deeply rooted. Thus, they were easily removed. As I was doing this, I caught myself being somewhat philosophical. I realized that an interesting example was being given by a relatively routine job.

During the summer months, the plants had grown large. They blanketed the area in from of the statute with large flowers. They gave a good appearance. In fact, it was a better appearance that I had expected. Yet, as the plants became progressively lifeless and needed to be removed, I realized that the plants were gone, that they had become useless. They would not be back; they had no real roots; they had no ability to sustain life even as dormant. They would not come through the winter and return next spring. They would have to be replaced next year. I really had never given it much thought before, but the difference between a perennial plant and an annual plant had to be the roots. The petunias were showy, yes; but they were shallow. They had no basis by which they could sustain life, reappear and be beautiful once again.

This routine task for this time of year, in a way, spoke to me. It provided me with insight about the incident which was just read from the Gospel of Saint Mark. The individual who is the central character in the story is often described as “the rich young man.” He had approached Jesus and wanted to know what he needed to do to gain eternal life. What did he need to do to give substance and meaning to his life, to become united to the very source of life in a way of existing, living, that would not end.

This individual, this young man, was a good person. He did what was expected of him. He lived out the directives for a relationship between God and mankind which we know as the commandments. But he wanted more. His life gave a good appearance, like the petunias. But he wanted more: more substance, more rootedness, a deeper meaning to what he was and what he could be.

Jesus challenged him. He asked him to detach himself from his material goods, from his wealth and put genuine trust in God and not in his possessions. He called him to be more totally involved, committed to the Gospel message, to his mission. Christ proclaimed that ultimate hope, ultimate trust, the ultimate basis for living was a relationship with God. Expressed in another way, this was true wisdom, true balance, true perspective for his life. It involves relating all that we are and all that we do to the presence, the goodness, the love of God. This is what gives a lasting nature to life; this is what embodies “eternal life.” Unlike material possessions, which eventually deteriorate, and unlike so many temporary things we might call “highs” - things like food, drugs, alcohol, sex and on and on - things that come and go like petunias - real depth, real meaning, real lasting and eternal life comes from a relationship, a union, with God, the very source of life.

But choosing this is not easy, it is not a “given.” That is clear from the subsequent discussion between Jesus and his followers. It is a challenge to me, a challenge to all of us, even as I speak these words now. We need not only hear, but we have to accept and make our own what Jesus is saying. In a way, it is what the author of Wisdom, which we also heard, is saying: that it is choosing the light, choosing the wisdom of a relationship with God and all that means in terms of the values, the principles, the way of looking at things we use in our day to day life and in our daily dealing with one another. It is not easy to allo this message, this insight of the Word of God to impact the whole of our lives and everything we do as we might understand the author of Hebrews suggesting to us.

It is not easy, but it is not impossible. This way of life can be chosen. This way of life can be lived. It can guide our values and our ideals. It can direct the way we grow, the way we live, and what we pass on to those who are a part of our lives. It is not easy, but it is not impossible, because with faith, with hope, and especially with deeply rooted trust, we grow, we blossom, we fill our worlds with the beauty which reflects our good and loving God.