“The basement is flooded.” Here are four words that bring terror to one’s mind. We just had a record rainfall of three inches of rain in less than an hour. I could see the water gushing out of the drain pipes earlier in the morning during the storm. The sump pump couldn’t handle it all at once.
Down I go for damage control. Lucky, we have our “stuff” resting on five-foot plastic shelving. The bottom shelf is about two inches off the concrete floor. While there is water on the floor we have nothing soaking in boxes except for a box that contains furnace filters. So, thank God for wet vacuums as I spend the next three hours soaking up the puddles after the sump pump does its job.
Most interesting is what’s placed on those basement shelves. We have my plastic floral collection, you see I enjoy decorating the house each season. Right now, all the pumpkins are scattered throughout the house, then comes the tool section with pliers and screwdrivers. Next, the kitty carriers, for you never know when you spot a stray and that needs to be taken to the shelter to find a new home. Moving on down the line, horse supplies equipment, heirloom china, science school supplies, picnic, garden, paints and in the middle shelving with assorted jams and jellies gifts from parishioners and friends and finally the Breyer Horse collection. Question, why do we hang onto all this stuff?
There’s this story about the rich young man from yesterday’s Gospel that is often misunderstood. Some deliberately will use this as a launching-off point to blast wealth and conclude that money is the root of all evil and that if you want to go to heaven you’ll empty your accounts, give to the poor. But that’s a gross misunderstanding of this and another way where we, who aren’t wealthy, can sort of exempt ourselves from doing some uncomfortable reflection. Because wealth, money in itself is not evil. And the rich young man isn’t evil either.
He recognizes that something is missing. He’s been following God’s law and the commandments – which anyone of us knows isn’t easy. He hasn’t done that perfectly. But he knows what is right and what is wrong and when he has failed he repented and asked for God’s mercy.
At some point this young man has seen and heard Jesus speak and act, he’s experienced something in his heart and soul that desires more. Jesus wants him to have it. But he can’t do it. His wealth was the obstacle. He thought about how much he had wanted the things he had purchased, the wealth he had acquired. He was remembering what it took to accumulate, the sacrifices that he made for it. He couldn’t imagine life without it. He saw the wealth he possessed as a sure thing and tragically – at least at this moment – put more faith and trust in that wealth than in the Lord, who was offering him a peace, a freedom, a joy greater than he had ever experienced.
He’s not asking this Rich Young Man to give up his wealth, rather that his wealth has become his god that he will not forsake or make compromises with regards to.
What is it for us? What are the things that have taken up a more exalted position in our life than we ever realized? What is the show or football game that you cannot even think of missing – but when it comes to Sunday Mass we’re way to casual about things “if something suddenly comes up?” How many hours overtime are we willing to put into that job without even a second thought but we somehow dismiss waking up 15 minutes early to pray, or to say a Rosary? How quickly do we blow $20 purchasing something on Amazon but when it comes to offering something for someone in need we become very budget-conscious?
What is the thing (or things) we’re holding onto – that’s become a bit more important than it should be? Why do we have all this stuff in our basements, or attics or garages.
Hopefully something is clicking inside of you that says maybe it’s time to just let go. Not because it is something evil in itself – but it reminds us of some attitudes, behaviors, and feelings that we are embarrassed about. Because Jesus knows us intimately. He knows us inside and out. He knows our strengths, our successes, our best moments. He knows our sins, our failures, our weaknesses, our insecurities, our fears. He not only knows us, He loves us – that He suffered and died on the cross for me.
Lord, I pray for all my Sunshine Friends, you know them. You know them inside and out the best and worst things about us and still You loves us – enough to suffer and die on the cross for you. May that truth penetrate each of our hearts so that we can truly see who or what may be distracting, obscuring our making You the center of our lives. May we respond to Your grace that will help loosen whatever it is that we’re gripping onto right now and just let go – so that we cling to
