Of Men and Camels

Today's Gospel (Mt 19:23-30) reflects on the difficulty of having worldy wealth and following Christ:

 "Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich
to enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Again I say to you,
it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God."

I remembering thinking about this passage often when I was young.  It's a wonderfully discriptive way of conveying an impossible task.  I mean, just try to think of fitting a 1000lb beast of burden through the eye of mom's sowing needle.  It's hard enough trying to get a thread through it; I might as well try to pass throught the eye myself!  And I think that's the point.

If we look at this passage with the eyes of Faith, we realize that it is not speaking of mundane wealth, but of the wealth we all have as human beings and as Christians.  Here Christ reminds us of our powerlessness to obtain what we seek in Heaven, no matter that wealth we may have, be it the cars we drive or the good deeds we commit.  There is only One for Whom the impossible is possible, and we aren't Him. 

We are called to humility because of our wealth as creatures made in the image and likeness of God.  As with so many things related to our faith, this truth is a mystery, but it is truth.