Matthew 10:37-42
On my piano there is a plaque that reads: “Life is like a piano, you get out of it what you put into it.” In other words, Practice. Dedication, discipline, will give good results.
Most music students have to work in order to excel in their instrument, even if they are gifted. The same applies to our journey of Faith. We would never ignore the person we love the most. If a whole day passes and we do not spend any time with them, they are going to feel that they are not important. Yet we say, “I forgot my morning prayers. I was too sleepy for evening prayers. I skipped Mass because we had company.” “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me…” That’s what the passage means. Nobody, not even flesh and blood can be more important than Christ. Doesn’t mean that we stop loving our parents. Means we establish priorities. Eating is a priority. Sometimes we will skip a meal because we are so busy. Or we are fasting for a blood test. Or we are on a diet. However, can we go for a whole week without eating or drinking? Can we do without nourishment for seven days? That’s the reason that the minimum obligation, for our sake, is in place. The first precept of the Church is: “Attendance at Holy Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation”. Remember that the precept is based on the bare minimum. Imagine saying to your spouse, “Come here honey, it's that time of the week again, I’m obligated to give you a kiss.” That’s going to go over like a lead balloon. The desire to be with someone is vital in any intimate relationship. In Adoration we sit in the presence of the Person who loves us the most. Not because we are obligated, but because we want to. We come in child-like confidence to be with God.
We can learn from children. Seeing the world from the perspective of an infant can give us new insights of reality. For example, an infant perceives the world mainly through the senses. The main one is what goes into the mouth. Everything must go into the mouth in order to be fully appreciated. Hands, feet, bed clothing—they all go into the mouth. Notice how Jesus chose to give Himself to us—the Eucharist is meant to be consumed. We are not supposed to bless ourselves with the Eucharist, or rub the place where it hurts, or stay away because we said a bad word. The Eucharist is meant to be consumed. “Take this all of you and eat of it. For this is my Body which will be given up for you.” That’s not a recommendation but a directive. We need Christ. He does not need us. Holy Communion is the most perfect way to keep our relationship with Christ alive. No prayer, no devotion, or novena can be better than the Eucharist.
Our relationship with Jesus Christ is like breathing. Without Him we die. With Him we will live forever. Meanwhile, He sustains us with His Body and Blood. Yet consider the amount of time we spend with the Lord and the amount of time we spend on stuff that will turn to dust. Our worries, our energy, our passion is often wasted on mundane possessions. Naturally we must earn a living, some of us have a family to educate, others must secure a future of financial stability. So where does God fit? What percentage of our day is dedicated to Him? We are not called to live like monks or nuns, but we are called to make Christ our top priority. Our entire day can be dedicated to Him—from when we get up in the morning to our last thought before sleep. A simple prayer of consecration of our day and thanksgiving at night is beneficial. The prayer is for us. Helps us to focus. Everything that we do can build the Kingdom, even our mistakes. Sort of like dialing the correct channel on the television, since there are many options. If we center ourselves on Christ, He will do the rest. We just provide a little space in the door. The Lord is ready to help us make sense of the brokenness in our life. The groundwork for eternity is happening now.
We do not climb up to heaven; Jesus pulls us up, particularly with His Body and Blood. Our vocation is to make Him the center of our life.
On my piano there is a plaque that reads: “Life is like a piano, you get out of it what you put into it.” In other words, Practice. Dedication, discipline, will give good results.
Most music students have to work in order to excel in their instrument, even if they are gifted. The same applies to our journey of Faith. We would never ignore the person we love the most. If a whole day passes and we do not spend any time with them, they are going to feel that they are not important. Yet we say, “I forgot my morning prayers. I was too sleepy for evening prayers. I skipped Mass because we had company.” “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me…” That’s what the passage means. Nobody, not even flesh and blood can be more important than Christ. Doesn’t mean that we stop loving our parents. Means we establish priorities. Eating is a priority. Sometimes we will skip a meal because we are so busy. Or we are fasting for a blood test. Or we are on a diet. However, can we go for a whole week without eating or drinking? Can we do without nourishment for seven days? That’s the reason that the minimum obligation, for our sake, is in place. The first precept of the Church is: “Attendance at Holy Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation”. Remember that the precept is based on the bare minimum. Imagine saying to your spouse, “Come here honey, it's that time of the week again, I’m obligated to give you a kiss.” That’s going to go over like a lead balloon. The desire to be with someone is vital in any intimate relationship. In Adoration we sit in the presence of the Person who loves us the most. Not because we are obligated, but because we want to. We come in child-like confidence to be with God.
We can learn from children. Seeing the world from the perspective of an infant can give us new insights of reality. For example, an infant perceives the world mainly through the senses. The main one is what goes into the mouth. Everything must go into the mouth in order to be fully appreciated. Hands, feet, bed clothing—they all go into the mouth. Notice how Jesus chose to give Himself to us—the Eucharist is meant to be consumed. We are not supposed to bless ourselves with the Eucharist, or rub the place where it hurts, or stay away because we said a bad word. The Eucharist is meant to be consumed. “Take this all of you and eat of it. For this is my Body which will be given up for you.” That’s not a recommendation but a directive. We need Christ. He does not need us. Holy Communion is the most perfect way to keep our relationship with Christ alive. No prayer, no devotion, or novena can be better than the Eucharist.
Our relationship with Jesus Christ is like breathing. Without Him we die. With Him we will live forever. Meanwhile, He sustains us with His Body and Blood. Yet consider the amount of time we spend with the Lord and the amount of time we spend on stuff that will turn to dust. Our worries, our energy, our passion is often wasted on mundane possessions. Naturally we must earn a living, some of us have a family to educate, others must secure a future of financial stability. So where does God fit? What percentage of our day is dedicated to Him? We are not called to live like monks or nuns, but we are called to make Christ our top priority. Our entire day can be dedicated to Him—from when we get up in the morning to our last thought before sleep. A simple prayer of consecration of our day and thanksgiving at night is beneficial. The prayer is for us. Helps us to focus. Everything that we do can build the Kingdom, even our mistakes. Sort of like dialing the correct channel on the television, since there are many options. If we center ourselves on Christ, He will do the rest. We just provide a little space in the door. The Lord is ready to help us make sense of the brokenness in our life. The groundwork for eternity is happening now.
We do not climb up to heaven; Jesus pulls us up, particularly with His Body and Blood. Our vocation is to make Him the center of our life.
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