Pope Francis reflects on the rich man’s encounter with Jesus: “Let Go to Truly Follow”

During his weekly General Audience held at St. Peter’s Square on April 9, Pope Francis continued his catechetical series for the Jubilee 2025 on the theme “Jesus Christ, Our Hope,” focusing this time on Christ’s encounter with the rich man, as narrated in the Gospel of Mark (10:17–22).

This catechesis, titled “The Rich Man: Jesus Looked at Him,” explored the spiritual struggle of a man who had observed the commandments faithfully but was still searching for meaning and fulfillment.

Reflecting on the Gospel passage, the Holy Father noted that the man approached Jesus with a question about eternal life, believing it could be earned through strict adherence to rules. 

“Everything seems to be owed. Everything is a duty. Eternal life is for him an inheritance, something that is obtained by right,” the pope explained. “But in a life lived in this way... what space can love to have?”

Pope Francis emphasized how Jesus responded not only with words but with a loving gaze: “Looking at him, He loved him,” the Pope said, underlining how God sees and loves us as we are — beyond appearances, beyond our achievements or failures.

The pope pointed out that the man’s attachment to his possessions prevented him from accepting Jesus’ invitation to follow Him. 

“His sadness is the sign that he has not managed to leave,” the Holy Father said, likening this to a ship weighed down by ballast that keeps it from sailing.

Francis encouraged the faithful to reflect on what might be holding them back from a full relationship with Christ. 

“There is no need to continue to take for ourselves, but rather to give to the poor, to provide, to share,” he said, calling for hearts that are free and open to love.

The Holy Father concluded with a heartfelt prayer: “Let us entrust to the Heart of Jesus all people who are sad and undecided, so that they may feel the loving gaze of the Lord, who is moved by looking tenderly within us.”

This catechesis forms part of the Holy Father’s preparation of the Church for the upcoming Jubilee Year 2025, a time of renewal and hope centered on the person of Jesus Christ.