Men's Rosary

We think of ourselves as quite important, most of the time. We also look at our family and close friends as particularly important in comparison to the masses. The danger is that we get stuck in a bubble that we call “our life”. The truth is that we are all part of the same life. There is no personal version of life. We all share the same dignity and are each as important as the other. “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27)

When we were young, a favorite game was “king of the mountain.” The object of the game was to get to the top of the mountain -usually a hill or dirt pile – and remain there. As others ascended you had to push them away to keep on top – being still the king! This is fine for a game but how often is life as an adult treated this way? Too often we prop ourselves up at all costs. We can push away others to remain in our position. Worse yet we can inflict harm on others as we fight to keep our position in life. We get so caught up in our own affairs we do not see the person in front of us. This is not how we were created to be. “Do nothing our of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3) We are only as successful as we help others to be. The goal should be to bring as many up the mountain to share the top with us. Rather than life being for us an attitude of competition with others, it would serve us better to see it as a collaboration with others to help one another experience Christ in our lives and be prepared to meet him in heaven!

To make this shift in thinking we must remember that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. We are all family. Everyone should be seen in the light of our relationship with each other in Christ. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28) When we pause from our self-centered living, slow down and take notice of those around us, we give ourselves the opportunity to change – to see things in the light of Christ and not overshadowed and blurred by our own ambition, pursuits and concerns. In this place we see the pain and suffering of others, the loneliness of others, the disappointments, struggles, potentiality, kindness, compassion, and goodness. The door is opened to let love for others flow more fully in us. Seeing others as Christ being in them compels us to treat them well. We should never look down on others, no matter what the circumstance. We should never discount what another is going through to suit our own convenience. We should not shield ourselves from the situations of others to stay comfortable. In the sick, there is Jesus; in the poor and hungry, there is Jesus; in the confused and disappointed, there is Jesus; in the public servants, there is Jesus; in the incarcerated, there is Jesus; in the unbelieving, there is Jesus; in EVERYONE, there is JESUS. How much would we help or celebrate Jesus in any of these circumstances? That is how we should help and celebrate these. “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” (Matthew 25:40)

If we unplug from all the distractions and preoccupations, we will be able to notice others more. If we step out of the private life we have created for ourselves and into the reality which is of God we will clearly see who is in need of help, who has been blessed by God’s grace, who is in need of hearing the Good News of Jesus, and who we are blessed to have in our lives. Just as we pray for our families we must pray for the entire family of humanity. “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people.” (1 Timothy 2:1) We can work as hard as we like to build the perfect life and may never find true happiness. True happiness is to be found in God alone and God is found most completely through self-sacrificial love for others. There are a lot of people around us – let us pay attention to them.

“No one should follow what he considers to be good for himself, but rather what seems good for another. Let them put Christ before all else; and may he lead us all to everlasting life.” (St. Benedict)