The road of sacrifice

Question: “What is the best way to go to heaven?”

Answer: “Turn right, and go straight.”

Message: Take the road of sacrifice, and leave your crooked ways behind.

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In today’s Gospel (Matthew 10:37-42), Jesus reminds us that discipleship is not always easy. “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” Following Jesus is more than attending Mass, posting Bible verses, or sharing inspirational quotes online. It means choosing Him every day, carrying our crosses with faith, and loving others as He loves us.

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One challenge of discipleship today is that many of us are more concerned about looking good than being good. We live in a world of likes, followers, views, and reactions. Sometimes, we can become more concerned about how we appear than about who we truly are. There is a thin line between doing good and looking good, or feeling good.

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How generous are you? Do you give only when it is convenient, or are you willing to sacrifice? Real generosity costs us something—our time, comfort, resources, or even our pride. As the saying goes, “Give until it hurts.” If our giving requires no sacrifice, perhaps we have not yet given our best. Let us remember: the best giving is thanksgiving. A grateful heart naturally becomes a generous heart. When we recognize how much God has blessed us, we become more willing to share those blessings with others. When God increases our standard of living, we, too, must increase our standard of giving.

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Learn to be silent before God. In silence, God speaks to our hearts. Some people post about faith every day but seldom pause long enough to listen to the Lord. As someone wisely said, “It is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.” Perhaps we need fewer opinions and more listening—both to God and to one another.

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I have said so many goodbyes in my lifetime. A disciple has to let go and must not hold on. Neither must he be held on to. When I look back and think of all the many places and faces in my life, I can’t help but be grateful for having had the chance to meet them all, and when it was time to say goodbye, it was a meaningful goodbye because it was always a goodbye “for something or someone greater than you and I.” God is with us in all our “hellos” and “goodbyes.” “It is only bodies that are separated, but minds and hearts remain united, especially in Him for whom the sacrifice is made of leaving all that is dearest.” This quotation has helped me make goodbyes meaningful and bearable.

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I wonder how many of our leaders and government officials know the meaning of sacrifice? Do they know the meaning of public service at all? Look at them. They have the best cars, have all the privileges, and are given all the perks. What do they talk about? In public, they talk about the good of the nation of course. But in private, they talk about commissions, positions, and self-serving propositions. I still have to see a politician who really has sacrificed something for our people and for our nation. Wanted: A few good men and women willing to sacrifice and work for the good of our nation!

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Warning: Are you so focused on the “small screen” cellphone of your life that you are forgetting the “big picture” of life itself? Remember, all our labors, sacrifices, and goodbyes in life have reason and meaning only if they are seen from the biggest picture, the “wide screen” of the Divine. Do you have that feature in your life?

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Because I am a priest, and just because I am a priest, people have been good to me and have been supportive of me. I always thank God for the gift of priesthood in my life and I am aware that in spite of me, the gift was given to me. In other words, it is not so much me, but the Christ that I carry that is received by the people and should be given to the people. On behalf of my brother priests, I would like to thank all of you for your prayers, help, patience, understanding, and support. And I am sorry for whatever mistakes, shortcomings, and failures on our part. Please continue to pray for us as we do likewise.

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Jesus tells us that if we want to follow Him, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and lose our lives. In other words, we must be willing to fade away, to be out of the picture, so to say. The reason why many times people cannot see Jesus is because His so-called disciples get in the way. Are you a Christ-enlarger, or are you a Christ-blocker? “He must increase. I must decrease.” (John 3:30)

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A moment with the Lord:

Lord, You are the reason for all my labors, goodbyes, and sacrifice. Amen.

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momentswithfrjerry@gmail.com

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