Christmastide has ended for this year. The celebration of Epiphany has come and gone . I read one absolutely insightful and fantastic homily (Fr. Ruben Villalon-Rivera) and 2 other good homilies, as well as, watched 2 good homilies on the internet, and heard in person one good sermon (not related to the actual readings, but excellent in its message).
I sat here not only contemplating all that I read and heard (trying to apply the lessons to my life), but also some incidents, communications, experiences with people over the last year, plus, thinking of upcoming events. This blog will not make much sense if I lead you to believe it was all good – it wasn’t. There was 2 incidents today alone that left me saddened by others words, or actions, or non-actions. This year I saw miraculous things happen to me and others, but I also saw great disappointments and pain caused by myself and others.
The thoughts just kept consuming me: What does it mean to love God and to want others to know and love Him too? How do we truly SHARE Jesus with others.
We can talk about Jesus, what He did and does, how much He loves us, how much He wants to be a part of our lives. We can “teach” Jesus by spreading His message. We can tell of the love of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit. But is that really sharing God with others.
In my humble opinion – not even close. Our actions, our words, and our very lives need to reflect what we believe, if we truly believe it. Our actions must match our words and those words need to be ones with compassion and sincere caring and love for the person to whom they are being said. Yes, Jesus said to go and spread the Gospel – but, the Gospel should be alive in us otherwise we are just reading words to someone.
Yes, some may accept the words that we say because the Holy Spirit moves their hearts to do so, but are we truly sharing God? Are we truly sharing the Love of Jesus? What I have witnessed and even been guilty of myself in some cases include manipulation of the truth or even the Truth, using people (in the negative sense of the word using), being smug or self-satisfied, being rude or inconsiderate, thinking our time,purpose, issue, or concerns are of a higher purpose, more important or holier than others, ignoring the thoughts and ideas of others, being insincere in our words or actions, always thinking of what we want, believing that our ideas are the only good ones, acting childish instead of childlike, portraying false humility.
We can reach out to others. We can speak of God and His Glorious ways. We can tell others of Jesus. But if we do not live as children of God, then we are not sharing Him. If we live in our own little world, looking down upon, thinking we are better than, not respecting, not seeing the dignity of or in others, they will never truly know Him through us because, as much as we want to claim He is in us, He cannot be if that is our life. We cannot give what we do not have, we cannot share what is not ours to share!
So with the beginning of “Ordinary” time, my examen each night will include reflecting how well I sincerely shared Jesus in my ordinary life. How available was I to others with my time AND my attention? Was I sincerely compassionate? Did I seek Jesus in others? Did I treat others with the respect and dignity they deserve? Did I look for the good? Did I see their value beyond their appearance and beyond my narrowmindedness? Did I do everything in my power to bring out a smile in them, show them love, show them kindness, show them that they matter, and so much more. Did I put all others before myself? I will then strive each day to improve from the prior day.
Lord, never let me miss an opportunity or fail at sharing You with Yours!
blessedadorer 
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