Gospel Reading today Luke 14: 25-33
"None of you can be my disciple unless he gives up everything he has." Luke 14:33
To die to self. We are told in scripture that that is the way to become closer to Jesus and inherit the kingdom of God. In our world, we are told differently. We are told to be selfish...to live for yourself...your happiness is most important. This is called spiritual blindness. We all have it to some sort of degree. Yesterday I listened to Father Robert Barron at http://www.wordonfire.org/ talk about spiritual blindness. We are consumed with what will make us happy NOW with all of the worldly good.....we can't see past the present moment. We can't see what the real meaning of life is all about. He says it all boils down to giving up your life to save it. Laying down your life for Jesus and do all you can to work towards getting to Heaven. He had talked about if Jesus was in front of you like he was in front of the blind man & asked "What do you want from me?" And the blind man answered, "To see". What if Jesus gave us the vision to see into eternity. To see our daily works and struggles of taking care of our family become fruitful by all being united in Heaven together. Don't you wish you could get a glimpse of the future? Seeing your children all grown up and being kind to others, working for good in the world all because of your teaching and hard work. I think of the Ascension and how Mary must of felt as Jesus departed from this earth into heaven. I compare it to, in today's time, seeing your child graduate from college or marry the love of his life. Your work had been done and he was going off to set the world on fire. A bitter sweet moment of sadness but happiness of seeing the fruits of your labor. Everything in Mary's eyes finally could see God's purpose played out through her saying "yes". She was blind when he was being scourged at the pillar, she was blind when he was being crucified. All she could see and feel was agony and sorrow. But in the end she saw the outcome and the reason why he had to die.
So today, as we are spiritual blind with what the true meaning of our life is here on earth, let's ask for the Lord to let us see passed today and the hard times we might be going through. Let's open our eyes to the true meaning of marriage....it is to help our husbands get to heaven by loving them and being supportive of them even in difficult times where we can't see the outcome. It is nurturing and loving our children while being financially strapped because you make sacrifices to be their loving care taker every second of every day....you "lay down your life for a friend (children)". It is struggling with a business where some days you just want to throw in the towel but you are working towards a legacy for your children. It is suffering from an illness or injury and through suffering your path to holiness is being paved.
Just as the song goes..."Open our eyes, Lord. Help us to see your face. Open our ears, Lord". So Help us to hear. So today, let's take off our "Mom Goggles" (a different meaning than the old college saying "Beer Goggles" :) and look to the true meaning of life. To give up everything for Jesus and to work daily for eternal life ....and there is no better way than through the vocation of motherhood.
Have a blessed Wednesday!
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