"What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?" (Mark 8:36)

WOW! What a powerful statement from our Lord!

In today's Gospel reading (Mark 8:34-9:1), Jesus is asking His followers to deny themselves, take up their crosses, & follow Him.

How's that going for you? If you're anything like me (& the rest of the human race for that matter), you probably struggle w/ this on a daily basis. It's not all about the stuff you acquire, the status you reach in your career, or even the number of friends you have on your Facebook account.

What matters is what is in your heart & how focused you are on getting yourself & your loved ones to Heaven. We've been told all our lives that we can't take our possessions w/ us when we die. God will not judge us on the dollar amount in our back accounts at the time of our death or the award certificates hanging on our walls. He will look into our hearts & see how many times we reached out to help the poor & suffering, how much time we spent in prayer, what we did in the fight against abortion & other moral issues.

I leave you w/ this YouTube video...Toby Mac's Lose My Soul. It fits perfectly w/ today's Gospel.

The Gospel Spoke to Me (Part Three)

I've noticed that the more time I spend reading & reflecting on the Bible, the more I'm "hearing" God speak to me. You can read my previous sections here: Part One & Part Two

Since I wrote the first one, I've been trying to figure out exactly what God has been trying to tell me about my calling to serve Him. In Luke 5:1-11, Jesus called Peter as one of His first disciples. Peter's response? "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" Peter was not perfect.

James Martin, SJ says in his book, My Life with the Saints,

"...a perfect man might never have been willing to set down his nets and follow Jesus....A perfect man would never have denied Jesus and therefore would never have understood the human desire for forgiveness. A perfect man would never have argued with the other disciples and therefore would never have understood the need for reconciliation. A perfect man would never have realized how desperately he really needed Jesus, and would never have understood how this truth is the basis of all discipleship....Sometimes I wonder if Jesus chose Peter not despite his imperfections but because of them."

So how does this effect my understanding of this Gospel passage? I, too, am not perfect! I'm sorry, did I surprise you there w/ that statement?!? Well, here's another one...you're not perfect either! None of us are & we're not supposed to be! In my neverending quest to achieve perfection, many times I compare myself to others. "Her children are ALWAYS perfectly groomed, well-mannered, and pleasant to be around! Her house is ALWAYS in order, nothing out of place & so clean, you can eat off the floor! And, she is ALWAYS well-dressed, NEVER has a hair out of place, & NEVER has an argument with her husband!"

In the conclusion of the above mentioned book, James Martin, SJ uses the example of a young mother lamenting the fact that she does not have a holier life for herself between her husband, two children, & full time job. She compares herself to Mother Teresa & wishes she could be more like her. "...in reality, she might be lousy at the type of work that Mother Teresa used to do. To underline this point, Mother Teresa might have been lousy at the work that this working mother is doing!"

This point really hit me. I don't have to be perfect. I don't have to be just like that OTHER mother. I don't have to do it all. There will be plenty of perfection in Heaven. So for now, I will try to focus on fixing my imperfections by NOT comparing myself to others. I know God will continue to work on me & there is definitely a LOT of work cut out for HIM. But at the same time, I have a LOT of work cut out for me too! Don't we all?

The Gospel Spoke to Me (Part Two)

A few weeks ago I posted about a Gospel reading that spoke to me (see here). I'm still trying to figure it all out, but like I said, I may never completely get it. I do have some more thoughts that I will post soon, but for now...

He's not giving up!

Yesterday, in my morning Bible time, I read Matthew 25:14-30, the one where the man hands his funds over to three servants while he goes away. The first two take their shares & invest them, doubling the amounts for the man's return. The third, however, buries his share & in turn, had it taken away when the man returned.

I've read & heard this passage many times in my life, but never really understood it. It didn't take me long to "hear" what God was trying to tell me in this parable this time around. God is the man going away for a time, I am one of the servants, & my children are the "funds" entrusted to my care. Which servant am I? I would love to say that I am one of the first two, investing everything to make sure their faith & love for God multiplies over time. However, I'm not sure God would see it that way. I get selfish & lazy at times. I get wrapped up in my own activities & don't want to be "bothered." I KNOW it's wrong & try to do better.

One of my focuses this Lent has been to reduce my internet time. This has been a tremendous effort on my part & I think I have done quite well. It's enabled me to spend more time w/ the munchkins. I've also tried to stop yelling at them...another tremendous effort. There have been many opportunities & while I haven't been perfect, I've really reduced the volume of my voice. I am trying to be more present in their lives instead of observing from the sideline. Many of the problems we encounter come from my attitude & actions. I've made many mistakes in the past, but am desperately trying to rectify them & change MY ways.

Through much prayer, reflection, & personal choice, I CAN & WILL be one of those first two servants!