Called to love

A doctor asked his new secretary, “Where is the next patient?” “Oh, I sent him home,” the secretary replied. “Why?” the doctor asked. “Because he said he wasn’t feeling well.”

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In today’s Gospel (Matthew 14:13-21), Jesus wanted to be alone. He had gone to a deserted place after hearing the sad news of the death of John the Baptist. He needed quiet. He needed time with the Father. But the crowd found Him. Instead of sending them away, Jesus welcomed them. He healed the sick, taught them, and later fed them. He was, in a sense, on vacation. But He set it aside because His vocation to love came first. His vacation was negotiable. His vocation was not.

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What made Jesus change His plans? The Gospel gives us the answer in one beautiful sentence: “His heart was moved with pity for them.” That is the heart of Jesus. He did not serve because of obligation, pressure, or fear. He did not serve to become popular or admired. He served because He loved. Perhaps that is a good question for all of us today: Why do we do what we do? Is it for recognition? Is it simply because it is our duty? Or is it because of our calling to love?

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One beautiful lesson I have learned through the years is this: those who feed others often end up being fed themselves. How many times have I visited the sick, only to leave strengthened by their faith? How many times have I counseled someone, only to discover that God was speaking to me as well? How many times have I celebrated Mass or given a talk feeling tired, only to leave renewed and embraced by God’s love? That is God’s way. We can never outdo His generosity.

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Sharing with you a few lines from one of the poems of Fr. Adonis Narcelles, SVD, a Filipino missionary to Germany who died at the age of 40 in 2003. “He cares for you. Find rest for your weary soul. Surrender to Him your troubled heart, your fears and anxieties. His words bring comfort to your restless spirit. Trust Him. Entrust everything to His loving embrace. He knows what burdens you. He feels your pain and sorrow. He is always there for you. He will never leave you, because He cares for you.” What a beautiful reminder that before we are called to care for others, we are first cared for by God.

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One day, all of us will go on our “long vacation” in eternity. The question is not when that day will come. The question is where we will spend it. That depends on how we live today. Do we live life as one long vacation, thinking only of ourselves? Or do we live it as a vocation—a daily response of love, service, and compassion? May we have hearts like Jesus, hearts that are always moved with compassion. And may we remember: There is time to rest, but there is never a vacation from love.

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For those who want power, for those who hold on to their wealth, for those who could not let go and let God, listen to these words of Martin Luther: “Many things I have tried to grasp and have lost. Those which I have placed in God’s hands, I still have.” May we all learn the basic lesson in life that nothing and no one stay forever. We are all passing by, we bring nothing with us when we finally go, except the love that we have shared and given. Question: How much money do we want before we say “Enough!”?

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St. Augustine has a beautiful definition of peace: “Serenity of mind, simplicity of heart, tranquility of soul.” This is my wish for all of us as we go through life, and as we go through whatever crisis in life. The basic denominator for peace in our minds, in our hearts and in our souls is righteousness. If we are righteous then nothing should or can disturb our peace. It is in knowing that we have done and are doing our very best for God and for His people; that we can “speak our truth quietly and clearly” and experience that peace which “the world cannot give nor take away.”

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**A moment with the Lord: **

Lord, remind us that our vocation, our calling, is to love and to keep on loving. Amen.

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momentswithfrjerry@gmail.com