Do you have the audacity to sacrifice your life? Perhaps you don’t, but the good news is that the God who lives in you does have the audacity, and He desires to accomplish great things through you if you just open yourself up to love. True love is radical – it’s powerful – it bears many fruits and blessings; and although it may cost you much suffering in this world, it’s also the best investment you can make for your eternal future.

Traditionally, Christians have approached Lent as a time to ‘give something up’ , but in conjunction to that it might be beneficial for you to examine your life to see where you could ‘give some more’, because that is precisely what Jesus Christ did – gave more – gave all of Himself. Therefore, let’s imitate Him more fully this Lent!

Together, (1) Being sent as Christ was sent (in the Holy Spirit, as a sacrifice), (2) Not being a burden to those to whom we are sent, and (3) Freely proclaiming the authentic Word of God without coercion, are the three indissoluble foundational pillars to Christian Evangelization. As long the evangelist is prayerful in these, he/she will be in a position to be best used by God to attend to the needs of His people.

Today’s First Reading at Mass comes from Ephesians 5:21-33: Brothers and sisters:Live in love, as Christ loved us.Husbands, love your wives,even as Christ loved the churchand handed himself over for her to sanctify her,cleansing her by the bath of water with the word,that he might [...]

Suffering is what happens when things are not going as they ought to be according to you. When things just aren’t going your way and you are upset by it, that’s suffering. Suffering is what happens when you desire things to be one way, but reality tells you that they are another and you refuse to embrace it.