Why do you call me good?

 This question is raised by Jesus in pointing to God as the source of all good. In some ways, it is a paradox that Jesus points away from himself or even acknowledges what others see in him. However, I believe this has something important to teach in a time of the plenary council. Our goodness is not changed by external acts but through interior conversion. By stating the commandments he is not proclaiming the law handed down by Moses but rather the inherent goodness which underpins this law. He seeks for people to discover this inherent goodness that leads to good acts. It seeks to highlight that loving God with all our heart, strength and mind leads to a love of neighbour as ourselves. That we seek to demonstrate the goodness we discover within us through tangible acts of faith which bring us into deeper communion with God and each other.

At the heart of this movement is persistence in prayer, study and action to seek what is good for our time and for our age. We seek to discover where our true treasure lies. This is why Jesus cautions us against building up wealth based solely on external acts or by visible possessions. He notices that when people life is built on these things it can easily supplant our reliance on God as the source of who brings life. Essentially, this is not by seeing poverty as a good but a recognition that it is through our personal relationship with God that we discover our own inherent goodness. It is a willingness to see our whole life through the eyes of God.

This interdependence of God is not a Christian fatalism where we are called to take a step back from life. Rather it is to see our life's work as found on a spirituality that is truly incarnate. We are body and soul present to the realities of life with a spirit that ennobles and recreates us. There is the internal struggle to be faithful not just to our own thoughts and feelings but to the choices that we make. Our calling is to be people who notice how God's providence is present in our everyday actions. The openness to see God's transforming presence in who we seek to become. This is acknowledged that our lives are shaped by a building up of God's realm on earth. By seeking to build up what is good and ever creative in life. Our true wealth is the investment we make in each other in building up a communion that acknowledges that God is the source of all goodness.