Discipleship is All About Self Denial

His Grace Most Rev Prakash Mallavarapu, Archbishop of Vizag

By Prakash Mallavarapu, Archbishop of Visakhapatnam –

One of the frequent exhortations of Our Lord Jesus to his disciples was about undue attachment to the wealth and comforts. The reason, we understand, is that attachments to wealth and comforts/ luxuries will lead to compromises on truth and fundamental values that give meaning to life. Attachments and detachments are reflection of our way of seeing life, its purpose and meaning, and its ultimate goal. Attachment or detachment is also the way one chooses to understand and relate with people and possessions.

The wisdom lies in drawing a line that helps a person to possess things and deal with people without being possessed by them. What helps a person to be wise and discrete in this regard is the vision of life that determines one’s outlook in life and everything that comes into the sphere of daily life. Our life is basically a life in the body! Seeking pleasure and satisfaction is quite natural and not easily avoidable! Our vision of life and its goal have to show us where and in what lies the real joy: “Where your treasure is there will your heart be also”(Mt 6:21).

Attachment does not happen all at once: The process of attachment begins with the desire or inclination to have something more and once one has it, one does not want to part with it. Cannot let go! Instead, the desire to have more and more of it or to have other similar things! Desires can be insatiable! But, as per the particular state of life one is supposed to live within certain limits in order to be faithful to what goes with that particular state of life.

It is only in relation to one’s state of life at a given time that the instructions of Our Lord and the spiritual teachers down the centuries on detachment to persons and things can be understood and accepted. If not, why should one sacrifice the beautiful and enjoyable things that are within one’s reach? Things in creation cannot be categorized and judged as bad or evil. Of course, there are things harmful to life.

Like, for instance, poisonous elements or substances in plants or animals that can destroy life. They have to be kept away. Wealth and other material things do have a place in human life but one does not live, or rather, should not live and act only for acquiring and enjoying them. Teachings of Jesus Christ should not be understood as encouraging living in poverty or proposing a world denying or other-worldly spirituality. Human beings should live in dignity and honor, healthy and happy but should not end up living enslaved to wealth and material possessions. The rich young man was not able to detach himself from his riches and therefore, could not embrace the life of a disciple of Jesus. His attachment to riches was the obstacle!!