The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
The first mass I ever attended at Franciscan University of Steubenville was June 11, 2021. It also happened to be the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that day, and a day I was planning on making a sacrifice for God that would alter the rest of my life. Though it's a relatively small sacrifice, I was wavering as I walked into the iconic chapel. I decided as I was preparing for mass to start to put it in God's hands in prayer, asking Him to make it clear to me what He desired. He did not disappoint me.
I don't remember much from the homily, but there are two lines I will never forget as long as I live. Near the end of the homily, the priest said: "Those who give themselves fully to Christ, receive Him fully," and ended with, "Hold nothing back from Him."
I can't think of more fitting words to sum up the readings this week. Starting with the Book of Wisdom, which casts aside gold, silver, and all sorts of riches and jewels in order to attain God and His Wisdom, to the sharp contrast we see between the rich man, who is weighed down with riches and walks away sadly, and the apostles, who, as Peter says, has "...given up everything and followed [Jesus]." What struck me while reflecting on this renowned Gospel passage is how the man with many possessions is eager and confident about his strengths and consistencies, following the commandments even from his youth. His face only falls once he is confronted with an area of his life where he is weak and inconsistent, and is what ultimately prevents him from following Jesus.
We are exactly the same. We will speak endlessly about devotions and areas of our lives we excel at or that come naturally to us. The second we are challenged in areas in which we are weak or inconsistent, however, we become that man of many possessions that would even turn away from Jesus to slip back into the comfortable and known.
So what is it that keeps me from following God, and giving myself fully to Christ? The second reading makes it clear that "No creature is concealed from him," and God can see right through to our weakest points with infinite love and mercy.
So hold nothing back from Him.