Certainly you have heard it said that Jesus is love, and that His love, through the Eucharist, gives life to the world. (Jn 6:33) He tells us this when states that greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (Jn 15:13) Without Jesus' life-giving love, we would wither and die like things of the Earth. Through Him, however, we believe that we are reunited with our heavenly Father and will enjoy eternal life through His grace. Now, I would like to propose another effect of Jesus' love: that the love of Christ provides us with the energy we need to fulfill His will for us to be servants of others.
This phenomenon is well known, even if we do not usually meditate on its origins in the Lord. It is common wisdom, even among nonbelievers, that it is preferable to have a love toward the things to which we commit our lives. We are told that we ought to love our job so that it ceases to become work. Or we are told by elderly couples that the reason their marriages have spanned decades is because of unconditional love. Many assent to such truisms without asking where the love that sustains such things is derived! The answer, of course, is from God through Jesus, who deposited a limitless abundance of love for humanity throughout all the ages at the foot of His cross. We need never lack in love, if only we are willing to climb the hill to Calvaryalongside Christ to retrieve it.
Since I began this blog, several wonderful friends have taken the time to contact me expressing kind words of appreciation. Some have also asked how I find the time to write several posts per week in addition to my job, my internship and preparing for finals. I tell them that the blog is easy for a couple reasons. First and foremost, it is made simple because my writing here is always rooted in the Bible. The richness of the Lord's words shadow anything my meager mind can contrive; I only hope to do them no harm!
Secondly, I point to my love for Jesus! Sharing His word with others gives me energy. It recharges my passion for Him. So too does serving others. Yesterday, 8 students from the Newman Center and I woke up on a Saturday morning and went with our Chaplain to the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma convent in Maryland to help them with landscaping on their picturesque 20-acre estate. Earlier this semester, we helped the Missionaries of Charity at their site for the homeless and the terminally ill. The amazing thing I find about going on these trips is that, no matter how exhausted I may be beforehand, I always find a burst of energy in performing works of service. I believe it is because in administering to the sick and poor and assisting those that do so on a daily basis, I am really administering to Jesus, who said that He could be found in the lowliest among us.
A good model for us concerning this topic is Mary Magdalene. Mary, a sinner like us, is continuously depicted in the Bible placing herself at the Lord's feet. In so doing, she pours out her very being, emptying herslef in service to Him. In Luke's Gospel, she washes the feet of Christ with her tears and dries them with her hair. (Lk 7:36-48) In John's Gospel, she anoints His feet with expensive perfume, drawing the ire of Judas. (Jn 12:3-8) In both instances, Jesus comes to Mary's defense. Through the outpouring of herself, Mary has made a place for the energy-giving love of Jesus to reside in her. This energy sustained her. It gave her the strength to follow the Lord to the cross and the tomb when so many others were too weary or afraid.
This energy-giving love is available to you and I as well, but only if we make space in our hearts. And the sufficient amount of space for God's love is nothing less than our entire being. For Christ himself gave us the greatest commandment: you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. (Mt 22:37) I encourage you to consider spending an hour or more next week in some form of service. It can be as an usher or lector at Mass or by spending some time either in person or over the phone with an elderly grandparent who is lonely and too often forgotten by others. You might just find that when it comes to refueling your energy and zeal, service beats out Red Bull and Five Hour Energy, combined!
No comments:
Post a Comment