A call that demands an answer

And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honour your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Matthew 19: 16-22)

Our sanctification comes through our ready response to Jesus' call. Our calling is, indeed, exactly what God expects of us and of our lives. What is more, God has arranged everything so that we can do His will. The rich young man, on the other hand, is not searching for his vocation, that is, what Jesus wants from him, but is seeking a merely human perfection with regarding to the commandments. The conclusion is bitter: not wanting to rid himself of the riches that prevented him from following Jesus' call, the young man goes away in sorrow. So are you willing to do God's will even when it involves some form of renunciation? Are you convinced that God does not come to take anything away from you, but only wants to give you the joy and peace that only He can give you?