Deacon Tom Writes,
"Everything You Ever Wanted... And More"
The reason that
Jesus came into this world, he tells us, is that we might have “abundant life”. That’s interesting, for who
doesn’t want to get the most out of life or to have the greatest possible
experiences during this lifetime? We all do! The trouble is that we all have a
different idea about what such a life would look like and how we would go about
pursuing it. There is a cataclysmic difference of opinion between what we would consider living an “abundant life” and the “abundant life” Jesus had in mind when he
spoke these words.
We are living in the
most prosperous country ever to have existed. We are living during the most
unprecedented expansion of technological knowledge that gives instant access to
information to anyone anywhere on our planet or traveling in space above it. We
have diagnostic capabilities that are simply amazing, increasing both the
quality and duration of our lives. We have countless forms of entertainment; we
have access to products made around the word. Just key in a couple of digits,
swipe your credit card, and products from around the world will be at your door
tomorrow. We have all sorts of toys and gadgets that compete for our time. We
have so much food that we throw a quarter of it away! We want for nothing….
Except…. this may not be the “abundant
life” that Jesus came to give us.
The “abundant life” Jesus came to share with
us has to do with satisfying the deepest desires of our hearts…our need to love
and be loved in return; our need to be respected as people who are created in
the image and likeness of God; our need for “human flourishing” which means
that our purpose here in this life is to become all that God created us to be. Because of that we possess an intrinsic
dignity and worth that must be respected at all times. “Abundant life”, in Jesus’ eyes, envisions a just and peaceful world
where we all can achieve the highest and most dignified status possible by the
proper use of the gifts and talents God has given us and who one day will ask
us to render an account of what we have done with those gifts and talents.
Reading today’s
gospel suggests that we need to be doing more in pursuit of the “abundantly life” to which each of us has
been called. In order to achieve this richer existence we should strive to rid
ourselves of some of our worldly concerns such as our need to be in control of
outcomes and others and place our trust in God’s divine plan; we need to
overcome our selfish tendencies and resist our prideful attitudes; we need to
develop a spirit of generosity and compassion. To grow firmly in the “abundant life” Jesus intended for us
means that we need to better prepare ourselves to serve others and to find in
them the face of Jesus who calls us to, “deny
ourselves, pick up our crosses daily and follow him”. In doing so we become
more fully engaged in that “abundant life”
to which we have been called.
Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom
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