This week, the Gospel continues with the theme of bread. Jesus says, “I am the living bread that came down from Heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” Jesus not only give us His body in the Eucharist, but also sacrifices His flesh by laying down His life for us on the cross. Jesus spent His whole life giving Himself to others and we are called to imitate Him.
If we want to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, we should try to make daily sacrifices for others. Focusing on ourselves and satisfying our every need doesn’t require much effort and we reap the benefits from our own hard work. However, when we do something good for someone else, we not only experience joy and happiness, but we get to make someone else happy as well. When I was young, receiving gifts brought me more pleasure. My two favorite days were Christmas and my birthday. However, now I find a lot more pleasure in giving than I do receiving, especially when I give to someone who can’t repay me.
Marriage and raising children demand a lot of self-sacrifice, but the sacrifice is worth it. When I was single, all I had to worry about was me. Now I have to think about the needs of the other members of my family as well. Raising children has taught me patience and given me a better understanding of what real love is. Even though there are many hardships that go along with having a family, it’s the best decision I’ve made.
We should feel the same about the sacrifices that we need to make in life to get to Heaven. Although sacrifices are hard and not fun, getting to Heaven will be well worth it. No one will get to Heaven and say, “I wish I had done less work.” Just imagine what the world would be like if everyone put in as much effort to gain spiritual wealth as they do to earn material wealth. Give yourself to others and smile as you see the world change for the better.
