Bringing Clarity to Uncertainty in Our Church

Tag: Gospel

The Measure of Real Love is Our Willingness To Lay Down Our Lives Daily

In this Sunday’s gospel Jesus says that “there is no greater love than to lay down your life for a friend.” 

 

What comes to mind when you hear the words “lay down your life”?

Story

 

My mother in-law, Anna, lost her husband 20 years ago to cancer. Anna’s husband was an only child so she became responsible for the wellbeing of her in-laws as they aged. 

 

Her father-in-law developed Alzheimer not long after his son’s passing. Not long after Anna’s mother in-law fell into depression followed by an avalanche of health complications that made her a regular at the St. Catharines General Hospital. Anna tirelessly drove them from appointment to appointment, cleaned their home, cooked for them and was always a call away. This was in addition to her duties as a mom, her job as a nurse, and tending to her own parents when needed. Both Anna’s in-laws have since past. Yet, if you knew Anna during those times you’d never guess what she was dedicated to. She was laying down her life for her in-laws, her daughter Jennine (my wife), her parents, and her patients at work. 

 

Here’s one more story.

 

Sarah, a high school teacher, is a hard-working teacher and dedicated wife and mother. While at school Sarah remains positive and inspires her students. When at home, she is loving towards her children. Perhaps, it’s only her husband who knows what she is going through. Sarah’s mom is an alcoholic and lives alone, one hour away. Despite being anxious, exhausted and even angry at her mom, Sarah drives one hour to see her mom every day after school and one hour home. She brings her a bottle of liquor (because it’s dangerous for alcoholics to suddenly stop), prepares food for her and ensures she’s comfortable and safe for the night. In the evening she gets home in time to tuck her own children into bed. She repeats the next day. Sarah lays down her life for her students, her family and her mom. 

 

Connection

 

Do you know people who lay down their life daily? 

 

Do you lay down your life daily for someone? 

 

When I hear the words “lay down your life,” I immediately think about grand heroic acts. But laying down one’s life is not always so grand that it would make a good movie. You and I can lay down our lives by doing little acts with great love. Here’s some examples:

 

Wash the dishes after dinner. There’s nothing exciting about washing dishes, but it can make a huge difference for your parents. Study and do your homework, even when you feel tempted to play video games or scroll through Instagram. Don’t dismiss someone just because you don’t see eye to eye them. Teach yourself to listen. Be present for your younger siblings, even if they are annoying. Honor and respect the dignity of your friends, peers and teachers. Finally, lay down your life for your own sake, by stopping negative life-degrading habits. None of this is glorifying and you may even be made fun of, but it’s the virtuous thing to do. 

 

The measure of our love is found in our willingness to lay down our lives every day. 

 

Let us pray, 

 

Lord Jesus, you laid down your life for us in an extraordinary way on the cross. But you also laid down your life in more ordinary ways when you encountered those who were marginalized or in need of forgiveness. We thank you Lord for your example of love and the examples set by countless saints before us. Sometimes the most difficult thing to do is to lay down our lives daily for our friends, family, co-workers and peers. When we feel lazy or unmotivated, help us to see opportunities to lay down our lives in simple ways. We pray for the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit. We make this prayer in Your Holy Name. Amen. St. Joseph…Pray for Us!

Good Relationships Don’t Just Make You Feel Good, They Get You To Heaven

What are the relationships you value most in your life?

 

My close friend, David and I have had similar life experiences growing up. We had similar family dynamics, similar interests, and our faith journeys parallel one another. What makes our similarities awe inspiring is that we grew up in different parts of the world, separated by thousands of kilometres, speaking different languages, and being influenced by different cultures. We only met because we happened to share a class during our Master’s program. 

Accountability

 

One of the things that I value most about my friendship with David is that we hold each other accountable. We have an agreement to hold each other accountable to the high (and sometimes difficult) standards set out by Jesus. When we fail to live up to these standards, we are compassionate, but at the same time we have a mutual understanding to give each other a kick in the butt. Kind of like a coach who sees great potential in an athlete, then tries to push the athlete beyond his/her limit, good relationships should be defined by inspiring greater holiness and virtue. 

 

My friendship with David has inspired me to seek discomfort. David calls me out whenever I drop the ball. He doesn’t affirm every decision I make. Instead of getting offended, I am shaken out of my guilt and inspired to push forward with greater resolve. In the 10 years I’ve known David, I’ve overcome personal sins I struggled with and have grown in my relationship with God. 

 

Fertile Soil

 

A good relationship is like fertile soil that allows for a tree to grow strong and resilient against the harmful and unpredictable elements of nature. If the soil is poor quality, then the tree may not grow to its intended height, the roots can become weak and fragile and the tree will eventually fall over and die before it’s time. Good relationships aren’t primarily defined by how we are made to feel, but by how much it inspires growth and the conquering of sin in our lives. Yes, David and I have things in common and we laugh at the same stupid things, but so do a bunch of other people, including strangers I’ve met. 

 

We Can’t Fix Ourselves

 

God created us to be in relationships because we are broken and we can’t fix ourselves. In fact, God, Himself, is a relationship of three persons – a Trinity. So if we are created in  God’s image and likeness, it only makes sense for us to be created for relationships. Moreover, we are all in the same boat. It doesn’t matter what you struggle with, we all struggle with something, some sin. The people in our relationships are God’s potential instruments to start repairing us, a bit at a time, on the road to Eternity with God. 

 

Life is An Endurance Race

 

I see life as an endurance race. When athletes run marathons, along the sidelines are people offering them water, food, first aid and even massages to rehabilitate their aching limbs. Can you imagine if the people on the sidelines just told you to just give up, you ran enough, you should be happy where you are? Our friends, loved ones, and family are like the people at the sidelines, constantly pushing us forward. That includes you. You too have been placed in people’s lives on their journey to Eternity. The question you have to ask yourself is: Are you inspiring them to keep moving forward? 

 

Let us pray,

 

The most important relationships in our lives are our family. Our family are our first educators, for Christians, the family is the domestic church. 

 

Let us pray for healing, blessings and an increase in love in our families.

 

God of light, we know that no family is perfect. We often take things for granted and place higher standards on our own family members. Help us to overcome any jealousies, conflicts, or bitter feelings that may get in the way of family harmony. May we always show pride in and appreciation for our family members. Help us to express the care and concern we truly have for one another. May our families be blessed with good health, joy and love. Amen. 

The Challenge of Living a Life of Joy and Vulnerability

It’s been at least two months since I posted. I don’t know about you, but for me it’s really easy to go on autopilot and go through the motions of everyday life trying to reach my goals. I’m sure you’re familiar with the term “tunnel vision.”  

Courtesy of Unsplash.com by Nathan Anderson

Courtesy of Unsplash.com by Nathan Anderson

I often found myself so focused on writing or recording a weekly blog post, achieving my objectives for work, or completing my next personal project that I completely miss-out on reflecting on some important questions. So I took a step back to reflect. 

I would like to share with you one big question that I often wrestle with. How do I live a life that is filled with joy and at the same time live in solidarity with the poor and suffering?

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