Love serves.
At the Last Supper, Jesus did something that made the apostles uncomfortable.
He got down and washed their grimy disgusting feet.
Peter objected, "You will never wash my feet." It didn't seem right to have Jesus serving him in this way.
But Jesus insisted that he wanted to serve the apostles, and that he was setting an example of how they should love and serve each other.
He also showed us that we must allow ourselves to be served, too. We must allow others to love us by accepting their help.
Your CHARITY #VirtueChallenge today - in the most unpleasant of tasks, adopt an attitude of service in love of your neighbor.
And if someone offers you help, accept it, and allow them to give you this gift of love.
Stop demonizing others.
Maybe you don't even realizing you're doing it. But how many times do we say to ourselves "Why are they doing that to me?" *To me* is the error.
When we see every action that causes hurt as a personal attack from the other, we start to project evil intentions into their hearts.
When your husband stays late at work, leaving you home alone an extra hour with the kids.
When the kids have an extra whiny morning and throw tantrums about everything.
When that one friend keeps asking you to do that favor you've already said no to a thousand times.
Why are they doing this to me? Maybe they're not.
Believe that for a minute.
Maybe they're not doing anything *to you*. Their actions, though imprudent, hurtful, and even inconsiderate, may have nothing to do with you. They may not even recognize how it's affecting you.
That doesn't excuse it or make it okay.
But for a moment, stop demonizing them. Stop assuming they're out to get you.
And let's stop living in our own worlds and seeing everything as if it revolves around us.
For a minute, give your husband, your child, your friend, the great gift of stepping out of your world and into theirs.
What's this hurt of theirs they are projecting on you? What need are they trying to get met?
Help them find a way to meet that need without hurting you - because that's what they really want and need.
Today's CHARITY #VirtueChallenge - eliminate the phrase "why are they doing that to me" (and all related sentiments) from your thoughts and words.
Adam and Eve were happy as can be all nekkid in the Garden of Eden.
Enter disobedience. And as a direct result, clothing. Which means laundry. And lots of it.
Laundry is the bane of my existence. THIS is redemptive sufering eight here! Endless cycles of folding and stacking (and baby unfolding and unstacking) and wearing and washing and folding (and unfolding). When will it end? Not on this side of heaven.
So instead of trying to get "caught up" on my laundry, today I'm entering into the redemptive aspect of laundry. I'm embracing its penitential value. I'm folding each peace with a prayer of love for the person who wears it, in atonement for all the times I have not loved well.
Your CHARITY #VirtueChallenge today - go fold some laundry. Meditate on your fallen human nature, God's gift of redemption, and your call to combat evil with good by loving and serving others.
#MyMassTakeaway - The Challenge of Discernment.
Today I couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor apostles in their confusion.
First, they thought Jesus communicated very clearly to be ready for a fight. They heard him say to go out and buy swords.
There were a few swords at hand. "Should we take these?" Jesus says it's enough. They didn't need to buy swords after all.
So the apostles head out to the Garden with Jesus, swords in hand. A group of armed men arrives. One apostle asks if he should use the sword now? Another just takes the initiative. Off goes a servant's ear. "Stop!" - Jesus commands. "No more of this." Where did the ear-lopping apostle go wrong? What did he misunderstand?
Discernment can be so hard. What seemed so clear to us an hour ago turns out to be not what God wanted at all. Things go all wrong, and we hurt ourselves and others.
The challenge of discernment is that it's a continuous thing. Every moment is different from the one before. We have to take new people and situations into consideration all the time.
And we have to constantly turn to Jesus for guidance. We have to follow the example of the apostle who paused to ask, "Now, Jesus?" We can't just rush into situations, ready to lop off ears in the name of Jesus.
Discernment is not a one time thing. It's an ongoing challenge that requires continuous prayer and deliberation.
What are you discerning today? How can you take time to pause and pray, and let Jesus in before you act rashly? How can you let his word grow and take shape in your heart until your course of action is clear?
Take time to discern, prudently, what the Lord is asking of you.
