Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time(Click here for readings)
Jesus said to his disciples: "...Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?"
Do not worry about what you will eat or drink. How could the Lord say these words with millions of his fellow country men starving to death. Well first of all, there weren't millions of his country men starving to death. In fact, there weren't even hundreds of his country men starving to death. People back then were a lot more resourceful than people today, and people back then cared a lot more about their neighbor than neighbors today.
Times have changed and we've changed in many ways, but we've also remained the same in many more ways.
Looking for meaning. Not too long ago I had the chance to visit my good friend's ranch. He's got lots of land, lots of antiques, lots of cattle and lots of buffalos. As he was feeding his cattle with some kind of special treat, I asked him how often he gives it to them. He said, "Often. I want my cows to be happy."
Treats! That's it! That's the secret to happiness. It's that simple. That's all it takes...for them.
But what about us? What does it take for us to be happy? Well...a perfunctory glance of various TV stations and commercials would make us all believe the same holds true for us as well. It seems like all we need are treats - lots of treats - to be happy.
But com'on! Although we all fall into the temptation now and then again, we all know life is more than a commercial, just like love is more than sex. Right???
Sure, it can be very tempting (and profitable) to reduce life to its most basic carnal desires like food, clothing, sleep and sex. But those of us who have lived past our thirties know better. It just took us a long time to get over Hollywood's spell, and the spell from all those brainless commercials.
Now, please, don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with food, clothing and sex. But the Lord is asking us a serious question: "Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?" Without a doubt, we would all agree, even if somewhat reluctantly. But I believe many of us would have a difficult time agreeing as to what exactly makes life more than food and the body more than clothing?
What is the secret to living life to the max? Is it eating the acai berry or taking tons of Omega-3? Is it doing whatever you want, or doing whatever it takes to stay young? Is the secret to life watching porn or having sex or making millions? What is it???
The worst kept secret. The secret to living life to the max has to be as obvious as it is mysterious; that is, something easy to point to but also transparent; something we can grasp at but can never fully contain; something we can relate to but that goes beyond human comprehension; something we can experience but that comes and goes with great ease; something that is earthly but also transcends time and space; something that is a challenging but not unforgiving.
This secret cannot be so well kept that it remains a secret forever. It must reveal itself in a way that all can understand. Hence, the answer to our secret cannot be a "thing" but a "who", someone both God and man - a person like us in all things but sin; someone above us but also with us.
The secret must be JESUS CHRIST.
It's time we stop looking at other options and look to the one who was, is and forever will be. The secret to living life to the max is to live it through Him, with Him and in Him.
"You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you." St. Augustine's Confessions (Lib 1,1-2,2.5,5: CSEL 33, 1-5)
ReplyDeleteAllow yourself to fall in love with Jesus Christ. Get to know Him as you would your best friend. You don’t have to be a priest or religious to place this relationship above all else – even your marriage or your children. Make your whole life a prayer to Almighty God and you will find Joy.