Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost: “The Gospel that Transforms: From the Rich Young Man to the Mother of God”.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to the Apostle and Evangelist Saint Matthew (Mt 19:16–26).

“And behold, a man came up to Him and said, ‘Teacher, what good thing must I do to have eternal life?’ And He said to him, ‘Why do you ask Me about what is good? There is only One who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.’ He said to Him, ‘Which ones?’ And Jesus said, ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, honor your father and mother, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

The young man said to Him, ‘All these I have kept; what do I still lack?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’

When the young man heard this, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

And Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich man enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, ‘Who then can be saved?’ But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”

Homily.

Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, peace and blessings to you all!

Today the Word of God confronts us with two essential and universal questions: What is the Gospel? And what must we do to inherit eternal life? These are not abstract questions: they touch the very heart of every man and woman, the ultimate meaning of our existence, and the goal toward which God leads us.

Saint Paul, in his First Letter to the Corinthians, reminds us with words that have resounded for two thousand years: “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, He was buried, and He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3–4). Notice the order: first death, then burial, and finally resurrection. This is not a mere historical account, but the very essence of the Gospel. The Christian faith is not founded on good intentions or moral ideals, but on the power of the new life inaugurated by Christ: death no longer has the last word, sin can no longer separate us from the love of God.

Paul continues by listing the appearances of the Risen Lord: first to Cephas, then to the Twelve, and finally to many others. He himself calls himself “the least of the apostles,” aware of his own weakness, yet he affirms that he has been called by the grace of God. This teaches us a fundamental truth: the Gospel is not the fruit of our merit or our strength, but a gift of God. Saint John Chrysostom comments: “As the foundation supports the house, so the resurrection supports the faith” (Homilies on 1 Corinthians, Homily 23). Without the resurrection, every teaching, every Christian practice, every virtue would become nothing but empty words: only with the Risen Christ does new life become possible.

Today’s Gospel shows us instead the human heart in search of God: the rich young man asks Jesus, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” (Mt 19:16). He has observed the commandments, yet he feels that something is lacking. Jesus invites him to take a higher step: “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me” (Mt 19:21). Christian perfection is not merely the observance of the law: it is to allow oneself to be transformed, to free the heart from attachment to possessions and to security, to entrust oneself completely to God.

The young man cannot take this step, for his possessions hold him back. Saint Basil the Great warns: “The bread you keep belongs to the hungry; the clothes you store in your wardrobe belong to the naked; the silver you hide in your chest belongs to the one in need” (Monastic Rules, Letter 199). This is not about despising material things, but about living with interior freedom, knowing that all we possess is entrusted to our responsibility and to charity.

Here we encounter the connection with the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, celebrated only a few days ago. Mary, with her “yes” to the angel, her hidden life, her daily obedience, and finally her Dormition, reveals to us the destiny of Christian life: to live in God, to be received into glory without corruption. Saint John of Damascus writes: “It was fitting that she who had carried in her womb the Creator of life should herself be brought into the heavens by Life Himself” (On the Feast of the Dormition, Ch. 6). Eternal life, as we see in Mary, is not yet manifest to human eyes, but is perceived in faith and in hope.

Beloved brothers, I would like to clarify that in the celebration of the Dormition, the Orthodox Church invites us to contemplate the mystery of the glory of God that transforms human life. Mary, preserved from corruption, does not only anticipate her own participation in heaven, but she also foreshadows what every Christian is called to live through the resurrection of Christ. Just as Jesus, risen, opened the gates of new life, Mary becomes the model of the one who welcomes the Gospel to the very end, living in union with God.

The liturgical hymns of the feast speak of light, of fragrance, and of ineffable joy: every element points to the invisible reality of eternal life breaking into time. The Dormition is not merely the memory of a past event, but the celebration of what is already real in Christ and is made present to those who believe with living faith.

I would like to share with you a concrete episode that helps even those who do not know Italy to understand the maternal presence of the Virgin: the Madonna of the Seven Veils, venerated in Foggia, known as the Iconavetere.

The story goes back to 1062, when shepherds noticed three little flames suspended above the waters of a pond. As they approached, they discovered a wooden panel wrapped in cloths: a Byzantine icon depicting the Mother of God with the Child, miraculously preserved despite time and humidity. It was brought into a small tavern and soon became the object of popular devotion. In 1080, the Norman Robert Guiscard built a church dedicated to the Madonna, which became a center of pilgrimage.

In 1731, during an earthquake that threatened the city, the people carried the icon in procession through the streets, praying with confidence. The Madonna, veiled in seven coverings, calmed their fear and filled them with hope. The seven veils symbolize the gifts of God’s grace which Mary safeguards and distributes to those who entrust themselves to her. The feast is celebrated on August 14, the day when the Church invites the faithful to begin a preparatory fast for the Solemnity of the Dormition on August 28, offering us an occasion for deep spiritual reflection and for renewing our trust in Mary.

Beloved, what does all this teach us today? Like the rich young man, we too may be held back by what weighs us down: material goods, securities, habits, fears, selfish projects. Mary shows us the path of freedom: to let the Lord transform our hearts, to trust Him, to walk toward eternal life. Just as the Madonna of the Seven Veils once protected Foggia—and continues to protect it even today—so Mary accompanies us every day, guiding us and consoling us.

Saint Paul exhorts us to hold fast to the Gospel we have received: “So we preach and so you have believed.” Let us not allow faith to remain a mere word or tradition; let us make it the treasure that enlightens our daily choices, that frees us from the chains of selfishness and attachment, opening us to true life.

Let us then open our hearts, entrust to the Lord whatever prevents us from following Him fully, and we shall experience the joy and peace that only He can give. Let us follow Mary: her total yes teaches us that the true treasure is Christ, the Resurrection, and eternal life. Let us remember the words of Jesus: “With God all things are possible” (Mt 19:26). With this certainty, we can allow grace to divinize our life, walking in trust and inner freedom, so that we too may become witnesses of the resurrection and of the love of God.

Amen.

Archpriest Michele Alberto Del Duca.