You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16
“We are to be the means through which Christ lives on earth in adoration of God our Creator, desiring that the divine glory may be manifest, God’s sovereign rule come and purposes of love be accomplished. And also we are to offer ourselves in love as Christ did for the world’s healing and reconciliation with God.”
Community of the Sisters of the Church in “Our Vocation” as recounted in What Do You Seek? Wisdom from Religious Life for Today’s World by John-Francis Friendship (Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2021) 101.
God’s desire is that you and I are “the means through which Christ lives on earth” in adoration and service to make known the love of the Father to the world.
How are we doing at that?
What I love about the various communities celebrated in this book is their commitment, their focus, their intentionality to fulfill their purpose on earth. But for most of us, life is distracted at best.
So, how do these groups stay on track?
A consistent thread I am finding is that the groups say “No” to many things so they can say “Yes” to a life of service, and they do this together.
They move toward the poor and the broken. God takes care of the rest.
To grow in generosity today, consider what you might say “No” to so that you can say “Yes” to move toward someone needing healing or reconciliation with God.