"The Sanctity of Marriage"

    Peace! Today's Gospel (Mk 10:17-30) revolves around Jesus answer to the most basic and decisive question posed by a rich young man: "What must I do to have eternal Life?

The fundamental Christian teachings on how to attain eternal life with God in heaven are to avoid sin and to obey the Commandments. But like the man in today's Gospel, it is apparent that Jesus it is not enough that he had kept all these since childhood. Not harming anyone or fulfilling the external signs of being Catholic are not enough. There must be renunciation of self to allow the Spirit to work in oneself. Thus, Jesus told the rich young man to "sell what you have...then, come and follow me."

Renunciation of self, which includes one's possessions, is the price to be paid to following Jesus. That is our response to God's offer of external life. But renunciation goes beyond parting with our material goods, such as, say, contributing something for the poor. As long as it does not cost us much, we allow ourselves to be deprived of something - our spare cash. If we do not let go of our comfort and fabulous lifestyle, we are like the man in the Gospel, because we really hold on to our possessions. Hence, Jesus' words, "How hard i is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Renunciation of ourselves and what we have, in the end will make us realize that our ultimate value will be done other than Jesus and His kingdom. Only then can we walk in accord with Jesus' will, and having truly responded to God's offer in grace, experience eternal life.

Indeed, Jesus assures us that in return for what we give up, we will be repaid with eternal life and a hundredfold in this life, namely, an inner peace, a deep feeling of fulfillment and an interior joy. God bless us all!

Rev. Fr. Rufino P. Yabut

Parish Priest

SHJ-MBS Parish Church