Twenty One and Counting

     Yesterday I turned twenty-one years old. One of the vivid memories I have from my childhood is sitting in front of the TV in my living room on my seventh birthday, watching some show on Nickelodeon. A new show started and, in the top right-hand corner of the screen was the rating "Y-7". I remember feeling so proud and so old that I could now "legally" watch such "mature" cartoons! In light of this, it is a bit of a shock to think that moment was 14 years (and a day) ago. Now, I've eclipsed every legal age restriction...next stop my AARP membership!!!

     I also could not help but think of my own mortality yesterday. My birthday always coincides with All Souls' Day in the Catholic Church. My faith is always quick to point out that we must constantly be vigilant and prepared to make an account of our lives to the Lord, who can summon us at any time.

     My own life has confirmed this truth. In my childhood, I had the misfortunate of my uncle and father both passing away suddenly. Both were shy of 50 years old. Sometimes I try to imagine what they were doing some day when they were in their 20s and, unbeknownst to them, their life had just reached its midpoint. I suspect they probably felt, as I often do, invincible and unconcerned with the brevity of life. They probably felt assured, if not entitled, to another 50 or 60 years; time to travel, time to play with their children, their future grandchildren, to enjoy retirement and the like. If they would have known that they would be granted less than half of that time, what would they have done differently? What would they have deemed more important to get done, not as important to waste their precious time? What arrangements would they have made for preparing their souls to meet their Maker?

     Lest you think I spent my entire birthday reflecting on such a morbid subject, I had a wonderful day spent with some tremendous friends whom I have only had the pleasuring of knowing for two months. I turned 21 in a beautiful foreign country, one in which I never thought I'd have the ability to visit, let alone spend 4 months in to study what interests me. I awoke early in the morning to register for spring classes at my home university in Washington, DC. I signed up for a class about the role of food in society, being taught by an Iron Chef and with celebrity guest lecturers. God has blessed me with the ability to do great things, to meet great people, to spread His great message of salvation. And I guess that's the point of this reflection: to simply say that I feel I've been given a lifetime's worth of blessings in a little more than two decades.

     I have no idea why God chose to give me these opportunities. When I reflect on how many people are more worthy of my educational opportunities, who could take more advantage of my travel experiences, I feel almost embarrassed that I frequently takes these gifts for granted. One of my favorite passages to meditate on comes from the Book of Psalms: What shall I render to the Lord for all His bounty to me? (Ps 116:12) I've been reflecting on that question for at least a year, and the bet answer I've come up with is simply: whatever He asks. On that note, I'll leave you for today with this prayer from Saint Ignatius of Loyola:

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all that I have and possess. You have given all to me; to you, O Lord, now I return it; all is yours dispose of me wholly according to your Will. Give me only your love and your grace, for this is enough for me.