**Harder than Keeping God's Commendments

         In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 19, a rich young man asked Jesus what he must do to gain eternal life. Jesus told him to keep the commandments. He asked him, "Which ones?" Jesus replied, "You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and mother; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself." The young man said to him, "All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
         We see that giving up your material possessions is even more difficult than keeping God's commandments. But to be perfect, we must detach ourselves from what we have. In practice, we may not be free to give up all our things for whatever reason, but at least we must be willing to do so, should such need arises.