GREATER SACRIFICE

GREATER SACRIFICE

 

“Your cereal offering I will not accept.” – Amos 5:22

 

Gail and Carla’s mom is in the final stage of liver cancer. To ease her last days, Gail agreed to shoulder the expenses and bring their mom to the hospital.

Gail sent her driver to pick up her mom. During her short visits to the hospital, she tried to keep the expenses down. She chose a private room in the hospital’s old building where it’s cheaper. She selected a doctor who is a family friend. She limited the medications, stressing there’s no need for heroic efforts. Indeed, she’s generous and practical at the same time.

Carla, for her part, never left her mom’s side. She took a leave from work and hardly slept every night. She gently eased her mom’s fears on the way to the hospital. She cleaned her wounds and kept her comfortable. She monitored her labored breathing and adjusted the oxygen mask when it slips.

Though both gave up something for love of their mom, I think Carla’s sacrifice is the model of Christian love.

Jesus died on a cross to redeem us from sin. Our love for Him should compel us to respond likewise, by giving up our lives for others and for Him.Cecilia Lim (cez_lim@yahoo.com)

 

REFLECTION:

“I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” (2 Samuel 24:24)

 

Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.

 

THAT WE MAY LIVE!

 

One memorable piece of writing is that of Henry David Thoreau’s On Walden Pond. It became the basis of that old movie Dead Poet’s Society of Robin Williams fame. He spoke about his excursion to the woods “because he wished to live life deliberately” and also because he wanted to avoid the pain of discovering at the end, “that he had not lived.”

This became the basis, too, of my own “excursion to the woods” via mountain climbing. In my younger years, I had wanted to“drive life into a corner” and to look at the heights and “lift up my eyes to the mountains, from where shall come my help.” It had become the guiding motif of my personal vision, summed up in the Gospel passage, “ascende superius!” (Go up higher!), which I am glad to note one of our schools had adopted, too, as their motto. Today, Amos would have us “suck the very marrow out of life.” “Seek good and not evil,” he says, “that you may live.” But there is more to life than just going for an excursion to the woods. Living deliberately and living fully can never be a simple walk in the park that does not carry with it important responsibilities. No, living is so dear. It costs. It pains. And it makes demands. The discipleship that Christ calls us to would not allow us the luxury of dilly-dallying, vacillating and engaging in double-dealing. Amos reminds us of its costs: “Hate evil and love good; let justice prevail.”

Make no mistake about it. The call to discipleship would have us dispel “all that does not lead to life.” At the Gadarene territory, he made that lesson clear like no one else did. Two men possessed by demons were cleared decisively of what tortured them. And it took Christ’s unequivocal command to get them to the much hated swine, that went down to their watery grave. “Out with you!”

There’s more to being a Christian than “living life deliberately.” “I came that you may life, and have it to the full.” Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

 

Reflection Question:

Is there an area of my life that is dead or does not grow? What can give it life?

 

Lord Jesus, grant me the grace to open my life to You completely so that I may live my life to the full!

 

Blessed Raymond Lull, pray for us.