Reflections of a beloved son

What does it mean to bear the name "Christian?" It means that a Christian life is one that is for others, a life of true love, a life of sacrifice. How can we truly bear this name and live our this life fully? By staying with the Lord and remaining faithful to the Church. To grow in relationship with the Father and allow that relationship to flow into the other relationships in our lives. Then we can truly be a Christian people.

Jesus came for all people, even those who choose to reject Him and deny Him. He came to lay down His life so that we may have life and have it to the full. Can we spare a few moments to put down whatever it is we are busying ourselves with, sit with the Lord, and truly embrace life and live it to the full - not by doing many things, but by simply being?

There are so many paths that we can take and so many people who we can follow. Let us never forget that Jesus is our Good Shepherd and He is the way, the truth, and the life. He came to give us life - a life that is full of joy and peace and hope. The path that Jesus will show us may not be a path of luxury and wealth, but it is a path of hope and love, a path of grace and blessings, and the only path that will lead us to the Father. Jesus is inviting you to follow Him. Will you follow?

When life gets tough, how do we respond? When challenges arise, do we rise to the occasion or do we retreat? Being a good person and bearing witness to the Truth will have its share of difficulties and hardships. Will we grow tired of doing good, and instead fall into the trap and lie of mediocrity and selfishness? Jesus asks, "Do you also want to leave?"

When we make one unkind gesture to one person, we make it to all people. This sounds crazy, but that's the truth. When Jesus told Saul that He was persecuting Him because of what he was doing to the early Church, He asked Saul, " Why are you persecuting me ? " We, a people, are one. We are the one Mystical Body of Christ. When one hurts, all hurt. Just like any sports team. When one player suffers, the whole team suffers. So, let us not fight our own. There are people who we may not like and really prefer not speak to, but that does not dispense us from loving them. To love them is to love God.