28^th Sunday of Ordinary Time 

Mk 10:17-30

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness;you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother." He replied and said to him,"Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth."

Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, "You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."  At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!"  The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply,"Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!  It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."  They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, "Then who can be saved?"

Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings it is impossible, but not for God.  All things are possible for God."  Peter began to say to him, "We have given up everything and followed you."  Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come."

Reflection: Detachment and Discipleship

Have you experienced lifestyle inflation? Also known as lifestyle creep, this happens when your spending grows alongside your income. As we allocate more resources to improving our standard of living, what were once luxuries begin to feel like necessities. I remember receiving my first paycheck and feeling thrilled to finally spend my own hard-earned money on everything I wanted. But today’s Gospel offers a timely reminder of how we should use the resources entrusted to us to follow Jesus, rather than becoming attached to our possessions. These attachments, often called disordered attachments, are things we struggle to give up—things that do not glorify God and distract us from fulfilling our duties (e.g., money, power, social media, material goods, food, etc.).

In our prayer, do we ever ask the Lord, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Are our eyes fixed solely on earthly and material wealth, or have they been transformed to see life through an eternal lens? In reality, we will leave this world with nothing. Everything belongs to God and will return to Him. The Gospel calls us not only to observe the commandments but also to let go of anything that hinders our attachment to God. How do we identify these attachments? Reflect on where we spend our time, and the answer will become clear.

Like the rich young man in today’s Gospel, who walked away sad because he had many possessions, we too may struggle to make sacrifices for the Lord if we hold too tightly to worldly things. The young man didn’t believe it was worth the cost. This contrasts sharply with the story of Abraham, who was asked by God to sacrifice his only beloved son. Did Abraham love his son? Absolutely—but he loved God even more. Abraham’s faith and love stand in direct contrast to the young man’s response, and his example can inspire us today. As we journey toward holiness, let us remember that we must rely on God’s wisdom and strength, not our own. God provides the grace we need along the way, for “with human beings, it is impossible, but not for God.”