Going beyond the words to the meaning of the words is the challenge of today’s Gospel. Loving as God loves all of his creation is a vast and impossible challenge for me. I cannot do it until I give myself to God’s spirit. Love as Jesus loves takes on a whole new meaning.
I have been blessed with children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren and students. What I thought was just a phase of my life has turned into consuming my entire life. As an engineer, I made professional presentations on technical issues that were peer-reviewed. These issues dealt with the public’s safety assured by safe design techniques. I had to convince other engineers that following sound design principles developed by competent engineers from the past was the way to accomplish this. The stakes were high – public safety was on the line. Now, I teach the Catholic faith to students and my children – the stakes could not be higher! Their eternal souls and those around them will depend on me convincing them that these things are true and ignoring them will have consequences.
My faith in what I teach and my love for the people I instruct must give me the courage to continue confidently. Saint Peter Julian Eymard also used his life to love and instruct others. He also shared his gift of self and imitated Christ more fully than we could hope to do.
Jesus assures us that we can have life and have it abundantly through the food with which he feeds our spirit. He gives us the grace to follow his words to their fullest intent.
Could you be called to this work through your life, circumstances, and talent?
Let Us Pray:
Will you let me be your servant? Let me be as Christ to you. Pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant too. Amen. (Lyrics from the Servant Song)
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