May 29, 2022   (See Fr. Xavier's Daily Reflection)

St. Teresa of Kolkata once said, “I am a little pencil in God’s hands. He does the thinking. He does the writing. He does everything; sometimes it is really hard because it is a broken pencil, and he has to sharpen it a little more.” What a way to look at life and how to live it by St. Mother Teresa?

She had a purpose driven life. The moment she felt that she was not just called to serve the rich children who came to her school, rather to serve the abandoned ones in the streets of Kolkata; she left the safety of her convent and walked into the streets of Kolkata. She was looking for the suffering Jesus in the poor, the aged, the lepers, the homeless and those who never tasted the meaning of true human love. When she was feeding a dying old man, one of the visitors asked her, “why are you wasting your time with a dying old man,” she responded, “so that he will die experiencing God’s love in his heart.” Whether she was feeding the hungry or addressing the United Nations, or helping a crying baby, she was clear about her purpose of life. It is to bring God’s love to every suffering person she met. We are called to live our Christian purpose every day, isn’t it? What would be ours to hold on to until we reach heaven? It is simple: to love Him and to follow Him every day. What can be a greater purpose for our Christian life than to love and follow Jesus? How we live this purpose of our life can differ from person to person. As a priest committed to the ministry and works of Christ every day, I do love to bring Jesus to everyone I meet. Whether I see someone on the street, in the grocery store, in the recreation center, or in a mall, I want to communicate with everyone that Jesus loves them, and I want to be an active witness to that. The way I speak and relate with anyone should communicate verbally or non-verbally that the love of Jesus is the sole reason I am talking to him/her there. In your cases as married and family people, look for ways to express the purpose of your life. How do I live my life’s purpose of loving and following Jesus every day? When we have a basic desire to think like St. Teresa, that I want to be a pencil in God’s hands, then Jesus will be right there with us encouraging us and giving us his grace. When we plan to do an act of love to a person outside our family circle, Jesus will bring the strength and excitement to do that act with true generosity. When we feel like aimless and lacking in direction to live the love of Jesus, God will find a way to put us in the right direction. Let us remind ourselves every day that “to love and follow Jesus” is the sole purpose of my Christian life.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Xavier Ilango