With the help of a friend, it was brought to my attention
how much I have failed to give God all of me. All He wants is my love. This is
not just the “I go to Mass every Sunday because I have to” or the “I pray my
daily prayers because it is part of my routine but I am really just going
through the motions” kind of love. No, this is the kind of love where I go to
adoration and sit with Him in silence, not because I am expecting anything out
of it or because I expect to feel a certain way after I have prayed. This is
the kind of love where I sit and just be in the presence of God because I love
Him. I should not expect to always gain some feeling, some reward, or some sort
of accomplishment from the time I give to Him.
A love such as this takes time and discipline but mostly an
open heart. It won’t be easy. There will be times when we feel empty and prayer
is the last thing we want to do. It may not feel like God is even there, but He
is. It is in these times that we show God our faith, our devotion to Him, and
our willingness to give of our time in order to gain something far greater than
we can fathom. That is the love God wants. That is the love God expects from
each and every one of us. He wants all of you. He wants you to pray, to read
the scriptures, and to receive the sacraments. Through these we gain tremendous
amounts of blessings and grace. When our focus is prayer everything else falls
into place.
He has given each of us an incredible gift of love through
His precious son Jesus. Through our Redeemer, we are able to enter into the
kingdom of Heaven. But we cannot just expect to enter heaven without effort,
without trying to give back to God as much as we are capable of in return. One
way to give back is to love others, and to help others cultivate a relationship
with God just like the disciples did.
Upon returning from World Youth Day, I took away the
conviction to “Go and make disciples of all nations,” as Matthew 28:19 says. We
can often take our Catholic faith for granted. But as Pope Francis said, he
needs us. The Catholic Church needs every one of us. We must live out our
faith, not just by words, but through our actions. Pope Francis said, “Go,
serve, and don’t be afraid.” I have taken that to heart. I often get scared of
putting myself out there. Scared of what others will think, scared of not
saying the right thing, and scared of backlash from others. But in all my
fears, I forget that God is always there; He never leaves. And by praying with
Him out of perfect love, I can gain the confidence and ability to overcome all
that stands in the way.
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear
because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect
in love. We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:18-19
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