I have always been a very sensitive person, afraid of what others might think if I say or do something that is incongruent with their perspectives. I get easily offended if someone says something bad about me, often carrying the negative encounters with me for days on end. In a world filled with pressures from social media and constant to-do lists, unrealistic expectations of ourselves easily accumulate. Loneliness and despair are real demons in our world today. So often we hear about battles with depression or anxiety. In the United States, suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people. It is so easy to be distracted by the problems in today’s world. Am I attractive enough, successful enough, or financially well-off?
As our Lord Jesus humbled himself to become a little child, a servant for His Church, we must remember that no servant is greater than His master. As Christians, we are called to be humble, which reminds us we are not entitled to comfort or success. We must consciously strive to find Jesus, and to place His love for us above all other loves.
It is not enough to go to Church once a week and go through the motions. To be one with Christ takes an inner peace and active work. There will be many battles in this world, since we encounter trauma through the effects of sin and chaos, and the hardest times will usually come from direct encounters with one another.
Other people’s love will always be flawed. But studying God’s Word and practicing faithful prayer can provide a protective armor for when difficult times inevitably arrive. Neither reading the Bible nor knowing how to pray comes easily; they require an invested effort. What ultimately works for one may not work for another, but it is vital to find a way to prioritize these practices in our lives.
We are not of this world, nor of this time. Today’s life will pass quickly, but our relationship with Christ and His Salvation are Eternal.
Daily Reading
Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter
Reading 1 Acts 25:13b-21 King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesareaon a visit to Festus.Since they spent several days there,Festus referred Paul’s case to the king, saying,“There is a man…
Saint of the Day
Saint Paschal Baylon
Saint Paschal Baylon (1540–1592), Spanish friar, renowned for ecstatic visions and devotion to the Eucharist, patron saint of Eucharistic congresses.
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