The rich young man seems to be a good Christian because he is happy to tell Jesus he obeys the ten commandments. But why is Jesus looking for something more? In Mt 5:3, Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven,” the first of the eight beatitudes he taught n his sermon on the mount. To be poor in spirit is to have no attachment to our possessions. This is where the rich young man has a problem. One does not have to be financially poor to be poor in spirit.

In Isaiah 61:1-3 Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord Yahweh is upon me, because Yahweh has anointed me to bring the Good News to the poor. He has sent me to bind broken hearts, to proclaim liberty to captives, freedom to those languishing in prison; to announce the year of Yahweh’s favour, to give comfort to all who grieve.” And in Matthew 25: 31-46 Jesus says, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, take your heritage, the Kingdom prepared for you… for I was thirsty and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; I was naked and you clothed me; sick and you visited me… I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.”

It is clear that it is not enough to obey the ten commandments. We have a responsibility to our neighbor who is our brother or sister in Christ. We are expected to do the seven practices of charity if we are to gain eternal life.

How do we treat workers who assist us? Are their lives improving because of us or worsening because of us? What do we do to help victims of natural disasters? In Caritas Veritate, Pope Benedict XVI writes:

“Charity demands justice: recognition and respect for the legitimate rights of the individuals and peoples. Only in charity, illuminated by the light of reason and faith, is it possible to pursue development goals that possess a more humane and humanizing value.”

Let us work together to give what is just to the poor around us.