I am currently reading Story of A Soul, the autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux, my confirmation saint. I am only at the beginning of the book, but every page I am in awe of how she can relate everything to Jesus, especially her suffering. She not only embraced her suffering, but thanked God for it, because it brought her closer to Jesus, and reminded her that Earth is temporary, and heaven is the goal.
As we grow closer to Lent, many of us decide to make personal sacrifices and carry these crosses in order to grow closer to Jesus and prepare us for the joy of Easter. All of these thoughts remind me of the phrase, “no pain, no gain”. I am not the biggest fan of this phrase; however, if we apply it to our lives, it is true. Sometimes we have to suffer a little bit or a lot in order to accomplish a goal, whether it be by working out at the gym to grow stronger or lose weight, not spending money so that you can grow your savings account or pay your bills, or by making sacrifices to help others and try to get to heaven. Jesus is the best example of this. He made the ultimate sacrifice and experienced so much pain, so that we can one day be with Him in heaven.
Our coaches at the gym are constantly telling us that we need to be more positive with our thoughts when we start getting tired in the middle of the workout, in order to complete it to the best of our ability. We also need to think positively in the rest of our lives in order to be the best version of ourselves. During periods of time when we are in pain or suffering, we can choose to focus on the negative, and grow to resent God, or we can use that pain and suffering as a way to grow closer to Him. As a way to turn the phrase, “no pain, no gain” a little more positive, I would like to think of it as, “spread the love, get to heaven above”. God loves each of us so much that he sacrificed his son in order to save us.
Carrying our crosses can make us feel isolated, but it doesn’t have to. This is where your community comes in to help “spread the love”. I have gone into many workouts at the gym thinking, “there is no way I can do this”, but I am able to complete the workout because my teammates are constantly cheering me on or sharing the load, and we are all getting through the pain together. Jesus had His own community to help Him as well. Simon literally helped Jesus carry His cross, and Veronica wiped His face for Him. Mary and John were with Him while He was on the cross. But more importantly, God was with Him the whole time. He never abandoned Jesus and He will never abandon us. We just need to remember to ask for help when we need it. I came across this quote by Mother Teresa this morning, and I believe it applies really well to this topic; she says, “We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love.”
How appropriate is all of this with Valentine’s Day coming up, a holiday in order to celebrate the love we have for one another. While we may focus on the relationships that we have and spend time with those people on this day, let us not forget one very important relationship; our relationship with God. I challenge each and every one of you to make God one of your Valentine’s this year. Offer up a prayer of Thanksgiving for the greatest act of love He gave us. Then continue to spread the love to others. I hope you all enjoy the weekend!
~Michelle
