Life is a choice-making venture. Every day in every endeavor, we make choices. We choose how we want to live from the moment to wake up to when we go back to bed. To make the right choices in the midst of competing needs and values, we need the virtue of prudence and wisdom.
Our First Reading today says: “I prayed, and prudence was given me; I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.” Prudence is one of the four cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance) and it is often referred to as “right reason in action”. It is the ability to judge correctly what is right and good in any given situation and then act accordingly. Prudence involves careful consideration of potential consequences and weighing various options before making an informed decision.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, prudence enables a person to do two things. First, prudence helps one to see one’s “true good” in any given circumstances. Second, prudence helps one to choose the means to reach this “true good”. But what is this “true good”? The true good is the best good out of many good choices. But unfortunately, we are often more interested in immediate gratification than long-term happiness.
In today’s gospel, we encounter the story of the rich young man who asks Jesus, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”. The young man is shocked and saddened when Jesus tells him to sell all his possessions, give the money to the poor, and follow him. His reluctance to part with his wealth highlights a tension that many of us face in our spiritual lives. He needed a lot of prudence to make a choice between his attachment to material possession / comfort and the “true good” which is charity.
Jesus went further to warn his disciples: “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God”. The truth is that our attachment to material possessions can fill up our heart that there is no space for God. Wealth is a blessing from God, but it can become and obstacle to spiritual growth and wellbeing if it is used selfishly.
Let us always discern what is best for us (“true good”) and choose prudently and wisely. God is Good, All the Time!
Father Tony Udoh, MSP
Pastor of Holy Family
