Who Cares?

"The eyes of faith behold a wonderful scene: that of a countless number of lay people, both women and men, busy at work in their daily life and activity, oftentimes far from view and quite unacclaimed by the world, unknown to the world's great personages but nonetheless looked upon in love by the Father, untiring laborers who work in the Lord's vineyard. Confident and steadfast through the power of God's grace, these are the humble yet great builders of the Kingdom of God in history." —Lay Members of Christ's Faithful People, 17

Most Americans, even Christians, spend much of their lives trying to escape reality through compulsive activities. Many people, according to Henry David Thoreau, live lives of "quiet despair". We don't think our lives, time, decisions, or activities mean that much, so we waste our lives and time in trying to feel good and do our own thing. We fall into the temptation of trivializing our lives. Then we become apathetic because we are hopeless.

However, we are children of God the Father, members of Christ's body, and temples of the Holy Spirit. We are royal, priestly, holy, and precious (1 Pt 2:9). The Father even sent His Son to die for us. Therefore, even those living the most obscure lives are important, and what we do with our lives, how we spend our time, and what decisions we make are very important. We usually don't see the power and significance of our lives, for our lives are "hidden now with Christ in God" (Col 3:3). Nevertheless, we are so important that we can't become more important. Even when we do the slightest thing, we can be used to save souls. For example, St. Theresa, the "Little Flower," spoke of picking up a pin to save a soul. To have a life charged with power, meaning, and joy, we must live a:

1. life of total love. The Lord calls us to love Him with all our hearts, all our souls, all our minds, and all our strength (Mt 22:37; Dt 6:5).

2. "life of obedience" (1 Pt 1:2). If we love Him, we will obey His commandments (1 Jn 5:3).

3. "life of faith" in Jesus (Gal 2:20) and in His revelation that we are members of His body.

4. life of multiplication. We should give everything, even the little details of our lives, to the Lord. Offer them to Him at the Eucharist. Then, as He multiplied the loaves and fish He miraculously multiplies our little lives and feeds the masses.

5. life of repentance. Even if we sin and hold back a loaf or a fish for ourselves, we can repent and love the Lord totally. Then our little lives become multipliable again.

Our ordinary lives become extraordinary when we live them totally for Jesus. Our little lives will be multiplied in significance when we live in "obedient faith" (Rm 1:5). Even our sinful lives will be turned to the good (Rm 8:28) when we repent. In Jesus we have no cause for apathy but for inexpressible joy and ultimate meaning in life. Right now, pray from your heart this prayer:

Lord Jesus, I believe You died for me and that You are alive and listening to me now. I repent of my sins and ask Your forgiveness. From this moment on, I decide to live for You and no longer for myself, to do Your will and not mine. Make me the kind of person You want me to be. Show me the way to the Father. Now fill me with Your Holy Spirit, Who will teach me how to live for You and how to tell the world You are my Savior and Lord. I love You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

You have just made the most important decision possible for a human being. Write and tell us the good news.

Nihil obstat: Reverend Robert J. Buschmiller, July 28, 1997.
Imprimatur: † Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Auxiliary Bishop and Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, July 31, 1997.