Spiritual Orphans
April 27, 2008
The Catholic Church in America and all the people of the United States have gone through a week of re-evangelization and spiritual renewal as Pope Benedict XVI came for his visit to America. It seems clear to me that the Holy Spirit through our Holy Father had brought an urgent message for us.
That word was given when Raymond Orroyo, the News Director for EWTN, the Catholic Global Television Network interviewed President Bush before the Pope’s visit the Pope’s visit. Raymond asked President Bush: Is the Pope bringing a urgent message from God to us? Bush replied: Yes the Pope is bringing an urgent message from God to us.
That was certainly evident through out the six days the Holy Father spent talking to every group of people in our Church and Nation. Catholics believe the Pope is the Vicar of Christ in the Church. God is speaking to us through our Holy Father. Pope Benedict is the successor of Peter. The New Testament states how the Holy Spirit was speaking and acting through Peter and His successors in the Church.
So the Pope first had a private audience with President Bush. We don’t know what the Pope said in their hour talk in the Oval Office. Then the His Holiness spoke to the Cardinals in the Catholic Church. Cardinals are the close advisors to the Pope. That discussion was not open to the news media.
His Holiness had a meeting with the Bishops. Here the Pope strengthens them in their responsibility as shepherds of their dioceses. The Pope said he was ashamed of the sex scandal. He met with several victims and prayed and listened to their pain. He prayed that the healing grace will close the deep wounds inflicted on you.
Priests were also given a message. The priesthood is the greatest gift given to us. God has chosen you to go forth and give the Gospel of Jesus Christ to His people.
Presidents of our Catholic Colleges and Universities were also given a message. He told them that our Catholic Faith has been handed down to you. Jesus is the Way, The Truth and the Life. These truths need to be given to the young students coming to learn the truths and practice it. Christ is out Hope.
His Holiness was invited to speak to the United Nations in New York. He was received with great enthusiasm for his message to this world body.
Our Holy Father asked to speak to the Jewish Leaders in New York. Then he met with the religious leaders of the Hindus, Muslins and other non Christians.
The Laity were not left out. His Holiness celebrated Mass for them at the National Stadium in Washington D. C. and the New Yankee Stadium in New York. These two Masses were filled with all the splendor and devotion giving praise and thanksgiving to God the Father.
Our Holy Father met with the seminarians at Yonkers New York. He strengthens them and encouraged them in accepting the call to the Priesthood. God has chosen you to bring the Good News to those God has sent to you.
One of the most touching moments in the Pope’s visit came
when he personally talked and blessed fifty disabled and
handicapped children. The deaf choir sang with their hands
and their voices. That was fantastic. Twenty thousand
young people came to meet the Pope. This was so great to
see these young people take to the Pope. They screamed ‘
Benedicto”. Pope said you are the hope of the church.
The Holy Father went to ‘Ground Zero”. Here he prayed and blessed the site and met with several of the survivals of this terrible disaster.
I think you can see the hand of God in meeting with all these groups both Catholic and Non Catholic. It seemed that the Pope showed a great love for our Country. All the government leaders both in this country and the world were opened to that word that he had for them. A large crowd came to say ‘farewell to the Holy Father as He boarded the plane named ‘Shepherd 1.
The Pope spoke His last words to us loud and clear: “God Bless America”.
Raymond Arroyo, Father John Neahaus and Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus tried to wrap up this spectacular visit of Pope Benedict XVI. His Holiness spoke to all these groups of people and had a message for everyone.
They were completely amazed and overwhelmed at the way the Pope spoke to all those ‘hot button’ issues in our nation and the world. There is no doubt that God has been speaking to us through Pope Benedict XVI.
Now it up to us to act upon what God is urging us to do. Are we going to hear what the Lord is telling us and then go about business as usual?
No, the cardinals, Bishops, Priests, University Presidents, UN world leaders, seminarians and lay people have to change. Then Pope is asking us to put Christ in the center of our lives. Live the Gospel. Pray and build up marriage and family life. Defend and protect life from conception to natural death. Every person is sacred, defend human rights. Truth is one and absolute.
These are hot button issues that we must deal with. Christ is our hope. Without Him we can do nothing. If you keep my commandments, you will have my joy and my joy will be complete. God Bless America.
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Who is Father Edgar Schaefer?
I grew up on a farm in Heron Lake Minnesota. There were 4 girls and two boys in our family. Parents sent us to Catholic Grade Schools. We attended both Catholic and public high schools.
When world war came I enlisted in Navy Air Force. Navy sent me to various schools to learn and use radio and radar equipment.
After war, I began studying for the priesthood at St Mary’s College and St. Paul Seminary - Ordained priest June 6, 1954.
I served the Winona Diocese in Minnesota for 45 years. At age 75, I retired and came to Sun City where my brother and sisters lived.
On June 6, 2008, I will celebrate my 55 years in priesthood. I loved the priesthood.
Began sending My homilies have been aired on Radio Family Rosary on KXXT. Now I was invited to be share my priesthood with others by putting my homilies on this website.
Homily
April 26, 2008, Spiritual Orphans
May 4, 2008, Good Witness
May 11, 2008, New Pentecost
May 18, 2008, Real Mystery
May 25, 2008, Corpus Christi
June 1, 2008, Successful Life
June 8, 2008, Wounded Healer
June 15, 2008, Gift of God
June 22, 2008, Be not Afraid
GOOD WITNESS
May 5, 2008
I don’t know if any of you have been involved in a courtroom proceeding in which you are being called as a witness in a case that is being brought to trial. Think on that for a moment. If you were, would you make a good witness? Its amazing that our court system depends so heavily on the testimony of witnesses.
Its also amazing to me that Christ entrusted his Gospel to witnesses. Some of them were not very reliable.
You can see why Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, to guide and protest all those truths that He gave to them.
After Jesus' resurrection, He appeared to His disciples over a forty-day period before His ascension. During that time He taught them about the Kingdom of God. He left them with final instructions. “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit which you heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Then He gives them a promise and purpose: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes down upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth”.
Jesus was entrusting everything. He had lived and died for to these disciples and those followers of His yet to be born. Their assignment was to His witnesses to out and preach the Gospel and be living witnesses to His life. These disciples who saw, lived, and heard Christ in their own life; are now to share that experience with others.
That’s a tremendous undertaking. Jesus said to believe in Him and the works that He has done; and you will be able to do these works and even greater works after I have gone to the Father and the Holy Spirit has been given to you. So the right question to ask: Where these disciples gifted with the Holy Spirit good witnesses?
The Acts of the Apostles gives us the answer. After the Holy Spirit came down on them on Pentecost; Peter and the Apostles left that upper room , they began to preach the Gospel and live like Jesus lived. Peter alone stated: Believe and be baptized. He baptized 3000 people that day.
Soon the Jewish Religious leaders saw what was going on. They arrested them, put them in prison, beat and tortured them; to try to get them to stop this teaching. But they said we must obey God rather than man.
Persecution began in Jerusalem; so they fled to other cities. Peter made his headquarters in Rome where he was crucified--head down.
But they appointed successors to continue on their Mission that Jesus had given them. Even Roman emperors tried to wipe out the Christian Faith by making the Catholic Faith illegal and anyone caught practicing the Faith were put to death.
An early Fathers of the Church was quoted as saying: “the blood of martyrs is the seeds of Faith”.
Finally The Emperor Constantine issued a decree that made the Catholic Faith the law of the land. He converted and his mother Helena was baptized in the Faith.
Now new missionary communities were established and were sent to all of Europe, the Far East, Africa and North and South America.
They were empowered by the Holy Spirit to go out and spread the Gospel. That was the last command Jesus gave them before He ascended into Heaven. “Go out to all the world, preach the Gospel and baptized them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Behold I am with you to the end of the world”.
Many groups of immigrants came to America to flee persecution and wars. My grandmother and father were just one of many who came to America and made their home. They had the Faith and lived it even under some most severe hostile forces. Anti-Catholicism was common. Church and schools were burned. I can remember growing up with anti-Catholic slogans and bitter feelings in our small community of Heron Lake. They build a Catholic School where I received my grade school education.
That brings us to the present time. Are you a good witness for Jesus? You have been given the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This was purely a gift of God. What have you done with this gift that God has given to you?
Are you a good and live witness to the Catholic Faith?
Credibility is everything in today’s society. We are tired of people who say one thing and do something else.
In today’s society a credible and authentic witness is important. Our young people are searching for the truth. Many of our young people have been exposed to frauds.
A good Catholic witness must be committed to the Faith. We are all guilty here. Some of us are silent witness for Christ. We don’t wear our religion on our sleeve. The only problem with that; we are followers of Christ. We are either for or against Christ. We can’t kid outself.
So how good a witness are you?
Live credibly as a disciple of Christ. Be a person who cares. Live the Gospel of Jesus Christ so that the world will know that you are a follower of Christ. Jesus said: “You will be my witness in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the world. Then you will know the joy that no one will take away from you.
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NEW PENTECOST
May 12, 2008
Moms and Dads usually are ready to hear some fantastic ideas or news coming out of the mouths of their kids.
My Mom and Dad were not ready to hear the startling revelations that came from me when the mail man delivered a letter from Bishop Leo Binz.
When I was confirmed, Bishop Kelly told my pastor, Father Boecker, to ask me if I would like being a priest since I gave him all the answers to questions in the catechism. I never told this to my Mom and Dad.
When I read the letter to them stating that I was accepted to begin my studies for the priesthood; they were surprised to say the least. My brother and I would play saying Mass. We were both Mass servers. But it never entered my parent’s mind that I would consider studying for the priest.
I was discharged from the Navy Air Force after serving four years during World War II. I planned to go to college and study radio and computer technology. I was dating a nice girl they liked. So they had dreams of a marriage for me. Now all their hopes and dreams collapsed when I announced that I would like to study for the priesthood.
It’s sort of like what happened on the first Pentecost. When the Holy Spirit came upon Mary the disciples, they started to act so strange that some accused them of being drunk or of being out of their mind.
Even more peculiar the disciples began to speak in different languages. These uneducated Galileans were babbling sounds not in their native language but in tongues that strangers from far off places recognized as their own language.
Suddenly there came a noise like a strong driving wind where they were seated. There appeared parted tongues of fire which came to
rest on each of them. And they were all filled with
the Holy Spirit.
The power of God was on display in a dramatic way.
Peter preached to thousands of people. They accepted
the Gospel and were baptized and joined the church.
Peter baptized 3000 in one day.
What followed was an exciting display of God’s power.
People joined together and prayed. Some were healed.
They shared their wealth with the poor.
They proclaimed the Gospel in spite of persecution.
The Church grew strong because the Holy Spirit
was at work.
The second Pentecost occurred. Paul began to preach
the Gospel to the Gentiles. The same thing happened when Paul ventured out in his missionary journey. The Gospel was preached, the Holy Spirit was released, people were converted and churches were built.
Pentecost is not simply a commemoration of past events. It’s a proclamation of the gospel preached, the power of the Holy Spirit is released and the lives of people are changed.
Pope John Paul stated that in the year 2000 a new Pentecost and new outpouring of the Holy Spirit is taking place. This new Pentecost is happening right now. How?
I was watching EWTN last Wednesday. Father Mitch Pacwa has a live talk show. Father had Robert Rodroguez of “Media Missionaries” on his show. He began with the EWTN Media Missionaries. The Media has a great influence on us. Most people watch TV five to six hours a day.
Mother Angelica built a Global Catholic Television Network. She also built a radio station. Both broadcast 24 hours a day. You can also pick up EWTN on the Internet and Serius Satellite.
EWTN is the vehicle bringing good, orthodox Catholic teaching to the whole world.
Everyone can get involved in the Media Missionary evangelization. It takes only ten minutes a week of your time. What you do is watch the programs on EWTN, record them and share them with others.
Here is a good example of how this network is touching people. A mother of five little kids was alone after her husband committed suicide. How is she going to raise these five kids alone in Orlando Florida?
She also had thoughts of suicide. When she just happened to browse the networks on TV and came across EWTN. She tuned in and heard very encouraging words of Hope. She heard how Jesus loves her. Now she listens to EWTN and has joined the Media Missionaries of EWTN.
Now these days when fuel is so high and prices soaring; many families need hope that Jesus loves them and cares for them. I’m sure, if St. Paul was living today and going on his missionary journey; he would be using the latest in technology to preach the Word to the whole world.
Even the homebound and those in homes that care for the sick and retired can belong to EWTN Media Missionaries and find their life useful by offering up their suffering for the success of this new Pentecost. EWTN Media Missionary has grown from 70 to 10,000 members.
Mothers who are under severe hardship in raising their families; can find great blessing and grace from the Holy Spirit. Our Blessed Mother is the spouse of the Holy Spirit. Use her power of intercession to bring the New Pentecost in your life. This is their telephone number: 205 795 5771. Please call them and share in the joys of the Holy Spirit or click here to go to the site.
REAL MYSTERY
May 18, 2008
God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son.
How often we have made the sign of the cross as we come into church or leave church without invoking and really being aware of saying the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The sign of the cross is the renewal of our baptismal vows made in baptism made by our sponsors if we were an infant, or by yourself if made at Confirmation. Water was poured over us and the priest said “I baptize you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”. In that one sacred rite, the Church makes us Christians by calling upon the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. From that time on we have a definitive mark of a Christian and we believe in the Blessed Trinity.
As we grow older we find that disappointing. It seems so remote from our life, so hard to understand. This one simple formula expresses our Faith. There should be something attractive and exciting in our lives—that becomes apparent. God is revealing a great mystery to us. St. John’s Gospel tells us that God has given us the Holy Spirit, as our Advocate and comforter to teach and guide us into this great mystery in our hearts.
The Holy Spirit takes what he hears from the Father and the Son and reveals it to us in a personal life-giving way. This is not just a passing on of information. The Holy Spirit knows how to reach into our hearts in such a way as to bring us into an experience of the Trinity. This revelation lifts our hearts, fills us with joy, and give us confidence that we are God’s children.
How does the Holy Spirit touch our hearts with those Grace and gifts? St. Paul in Romans 8:26, shows us “The Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought; so the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groaning that cannot be expressed in speech. God the Father knows what the Spirit means. The Spirit intercedes for us as God Himself wills”.
In all the Sacraments, God has given us all the Graces, virtues and gifts that we need to experience God’s love. God lifts up our hearts and gives us the Faith, and confidence, and trust that He loves us and we are his children.
The Holy Spirit has given and has shown us that God gave and He gave and He gives us some more. In fact He gave everything so that we could be with Him. That’s how much He loves us.
In the Bible, the Holy Spirit reveals to us how much He loves us. The Son of God became man in the womb of the Virgin Mary. He became like us in every way except sin. Jesus began His public life and taught us how to live the fullest life in this life so that we could enjoy the everlasting life with Him in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus showed us that God is love and He has implanted this love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
Love then our being and essence. We are nobody till someone loves us. When we love God with all our hearts and love our neighbors as ourselves, we are fulfilling all our hopes and dreams. Jesus gave us on the night before He died the Holy Eucharist under the forms of bread and wine.
It all began with Mary. God asked Mary to say yes to let God become flesh in her womb. Mary said yes. “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, let be done unto me according to your word”. When we receive Holy Communion, we say “Yes” to God in our life. We receive the Body and Blood, soul and divinity of Jesus in our hearts. God becomes a living person in our hearts. Jesus became man so that we could become like God. It’s like pouring melted wax into melted wax. We take on the likeness of Jesus. We think, and act like Jesus.
So when we come up to receive Holy Communion, the priest says: “The Body of Christ, and The Blood of Christ,” and we say “Amen”. That Amen is our yes to let Jesus come into our hearts and live there. The only thing that prevents us from having Jesus come into our hearts would be sin especially serious sin. We need to go to Confession before we are worthy to receive Jesus in Holy Communion.
When we receive Holy Communion; it’s not God doing everything and we let it happen. In receiving Holy Communion we enter into the life of Jesus. We become part of His life. When we receive Holy Communion we receive not only Jesus but also the Father and the Holy Spirit. Jesus said I am the living bread that has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever.
We will not know the mystery of the Holy Trinity; but we will come to enjoy the experience of the love in our heart. Jesus has given us everything. Jesus has given us His own Mother from the Cross. Mary is the spouse of the Holy Spirit because Mary became pregnant by the Grace of the Holy Spirit. So go to Mary and ask her to take you to Jesus. She will show you how to enjoy the love of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.
So at Mass today on the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity; ask for a deeper revelation of the love that gave everything so that we could be with Him. God will fill you with His divine life and give you a deeper taste of His Love.
CORPUS CHRISTI
May 25, 2008
I think that your life will be different after you read this homily on the Holy Eucharist. Your attitude and your adoration will change the next time you go to Mass and receive Holy Communion.
Why am I saying this? Pope John Paul stated in his encyclical on The Eucharist and the Church that he is setting for a plan for the church for the next 1000 year. His Holiness said that he will re-discover and re-kindle the truths on the Eucharist that has been proclaimed by the Church for over 2000 years. The Pope goes on to say that this awesome mystery of the Holy Eucharist needs to once again burn with the fire of the Holy Spirit.
I was talking with my nephew who stop going to church. He grew up as a cradle Catholic. He was a Mass server and he attended Catholic grade and high schools. He admits that maybe the priests didn’t preach on the Holy Eucharist or I wasn’t listening. I didn’t get anything out of going to Mass and receiving Holy Communion.
Then I began to tell him about this awesome mystery in the Catholic Church. Jesus wanted us to really live the Passion, Death and Resurrection in our life. It is not a mystery that merely took place 2000 years ago. Jesus wants you to experience what Jesus did for each one of us. Jesus had you in mind as He endured that intense suffering and death on the cross and then rose from the death on the third day. He had you and me in mind. All our sins and rebelling.... He nailed them all to the cross.
Then He established a plan that we could experience this love of God the Father Son and Holy Spirit every time we come to Mass and receive Holy Communion. Jesus stated. "I am the living Bread come down from heaven; and everyone who eats this Bread will live forever. ... this Bread is my Flesh for the life of the world." Jesus is talking about life; our life--daily life. We draw life from the Holy Eucharist. The Eucharist is the center of our life.
Jesus knew how hard it would be to live a good life. He knows our temptations and struggles. Jesus was one like us in every way except sin. He experience all our temptations with Satan in the desert. So He figured out a way He could stay with us as we journey through our life.
Scott Hahn wrote a book the Lamb’s Supper. Scott was formerly a Presbyterian minister and very anti-Catholic. Scott came to know the teachings of the Catholic Church through prayer and study of the early fathers following the apostles. He became convinced of these teachings and became Catholic. In his book the Lamb’s Supper; he states that we go the heaven every time we go to Mass. He traced that teaching from the time of the apostles, down through the centuries of the church. Vatican II used the same words as well as Pope John Paul II.
The Holy Eucharist is the summit and source of life in the Church. Pope John Paul II states the church draws all its spiritual wealth from the Holy Eucharist. The Holy Eucharist is the living person of Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. He is one with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus made this possible in the Upper Room the night before He died. It was the Jewish Passover Feast. Instead of sacrificing a lamb; Jesus became the Lamb of God. He became the victim offered in sacrifice to the Father. Jesus became the priest offering Himself to the Father to satisfy diving justice for our sins.
Then Jesus ordained the twelve apostles and empowered them to do this in His memory. Jesus then went to complete what He had done in the upper room. He died on the cross. Jesus then told the apostles to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Then you will be able to do what I have done at the Last Supper and on Calvary.
Jesus instituted the priesthood at the last supper. This is an extraordinary gift of God to continue in the person of Christ. So the ordained priest only says the words and action of changing bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Christ is changing the bread and wine into His Body and Blood. The priest is empowered to say the words. He speaks only in the person of Christ. “This is my Body, This is the Chalice of my Blood”.
The early Church came to know the Holy Eucharist as the “Breaking of the Bread”. We know this as the Sacrifice of the Mass. The Holy Eucharist is the most precious possession of the Church. We are united with Jesus and all the angels and saints in celebrating this sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Revelation 5 gives us the scene in heaven as we celebrate Mass on this earth.
Jesus said that He did not want to leave us orphans. He promised to be with us until the end of time. So He made it possible to be present in our tabernacles for us to come and spend time with Him. Jesus invites us: come to me all you that labor and I will give you rest." "Learn of me for I am meek and humble of heart and you will find rest to your souls.
I have found great comfort in spending an hour with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Our Churches have the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle. Jesus is waiting for you to come to Him. I need that hour with Jesus everyday to get started on my day. Also, Jesus has given His mother to us. She is our Eucharistic Mother. I go to Mary and she takes me to Jesus. That’s the easiest, shortest and most reliable way to Jesus our Savior and Lord.
I live on the Holy Eucharist. Jesus is center of my life on my life’s journey. I hope this homily will change your whole attitude on going to Mass and receiving Holy Communion.
SUCCESSFUL LIFE
June 1, 2008
There is nothing worth having that comes too easily.
How about building a successful marriage? Does that come easy? There’s a lot of self giving.
How about building a healthy body? That takes time, effort, and suffering.
How about building a successful life? Where would you look for guidance and advice? I would like to give you the words of wisdom from God the Creator. Jesus said: “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who build his house on the rock. The rains came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock."
The teachings of Jesus Christ are the foundation for a full and meaningful and successful life. Jesus tells us to love God, love your neighbor. Be able to forgive, and accept others, practice humility and peace. It’s a total package. There are many people who find this life to strict and are drawn to other ways of life. But Christ’s way cannot be improved upon.
I was reading a story told by Dr. Milton Erickson, a well-known and well-respected psychiatrist. Dr. Erickson was asked to counsel an elderly woman who was quite depressed. Erickson went to her home. During the visit Erickson noticed three well cared-for African violets. Each was a different color and next to them was an empty pot in which this woman was going to start another plant. This lady had a great talent for growing flowers.
Erickson wanted to prescribe something for her feelings of depression. So Dr. Milton made her commit to an agreement to fill his prescription. She agreed.
Dr. Milton said: “Depression is not your problem. Your problem is that you aren’t living a meaningful and satisfying Christian life. The woman was startled and went on the defensive. “What do you mean? I attend church weekly, pray daily and keep the commandments. "
Then Dr. Milton pointed out her great talent for growing African violets. It was a gift she was keeping to herself. He told her to purchase more pots and grow more of these beautiful plants. When she had an adequate supply, he asked her to put an African violet in each of these pots and give one of these violets to the mother of every baby born to a member of her parish. Then she was to give one to every member of her church who was hospitalized.
After Dr. Milton left she began to think about what he had said. She decided to give it a try. She took the African violets to a friend who had recently lost her husband. Then another to a family who just had a new baby. Soon this was a regular part of her life.
About ten years later, an article appeared in the local paper. It titled: “African Violet Queen dies—mourned by thousands. Evidently by living our her Christian faith and sharing her talent for growing African violets with others; this woman discovered a meaningful and satisfying life.
Our Catholic Faith is all about giving ourself away. Jesus gave us that example. He humbled Himself even to the death of the cross. But Jesus didn’t stop there. He gave Himself to us in the Holy Eucharist in which He becomes present to us under the forms of bread and wine.
Yet, that was still not enough. He gave His mother to us on the cross before he died. What more could Jesus have given to us that He has not given? He gave all. Mary also followed her Son’s example. When she was asked to become the mother of God; she said ‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your Word."
When she was also told by the Archangel Gabriel that her cousin Elizabeth was six months pregnant, Mary left immediately to be with her cousin in her need and stayed until the child was born.
So when we look at "Love" the right way; we have to see the way God looks at it. Love has only one meaning-self giving sacrifice. Doing something for someone else even when we don’t want to, even when every fiber of our being tells us not to, is the true definition of love.
It's no wonder that Christ said the greatest act of love is to sacrifice your life for a friend. It all comes down to giving yourself away.
How does that play out in married life.
My sister is in a group home where they take care of dementia patients and others who need constant care. There is a man there who is bed ridden. He has to be fed, bathed, and given all the personal care that he needs to live. I see his wife come there everyday and stays with him through most of the day. I marvel at the devotion and commitment she has to her husband. She made that commitment when she said in sickness and in health unto death do us part. She has kept that commitment. That’s real self-giving love to her husband. I find that as an example of such a great witness; that I find it easy to come to take care of my sister and be there for her.
When we are young and healthy there are no limits to the kind of interesting people God can send your way. After all there are millions of people around the world whose rights are trampled upon. Right now in our own country the dignity of human life is under fierce attack by abortion.
Fulfilling your God given obligation to your family comes first, but that aside there are times when we can get involved to reach out to those in need. Many people are discovering the words of Jesus are true. “Everyone who hears these words of mine and put them into practice is like a wise man who build his house on the rock."
Have you discovered the truth of Christ’s words for your life. You too can enjoy the fullness of life that Jesus offers us. Go for it.