My Own Passion

After a long church service today, with kids climbing on me and whining and trying hard to be quiet, I was spent by bedtime.  I read the children the Good Friday part of The Very First Easter, which we began reading yesterday before the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.

After I read, my 9 year old daughter said something that I want to remember forever.  She said “Christ died on the cross because He had the power over life and death, He knew how much it mattered.  I think I would do that if I could, but I am not God, so my life would not make the difference in other people’s life or death.”

Hmm.  Is that how I view the Passion some days?  Christ did that, because His life was important, but I am not going to bother to sacrifice, because my sacrifice won’t be as fruitful?

I asked her, how are we called to respond to the Passion?  She said “be Catholic.”  What does it mean to be Catholic?  “Be like Jesus.”  Well, does that mean that to be like Jesus we need to give up our lives for others?  How can we do that?  “I could become a nun and serve the poor and teach them about the Gospel.”  Yes.  “But I really want to be a mother and have children.”  Do you think that mothers serve the poor, give up their lives, and teach people about the Gospel?  “Well, you teach us.  You feed us, and clothe us.  I would want to do more than that.”  Maybe I want to do more than that somedays, too, but doing just that seems to take all I have.  This is my Passion, right now, to teach you and feed you and clothe you.  She got very quiet.  Christ had a choice, and yes, He knew how much it mattered.  That is what I need to remember, how much it matters.