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| Illustration by
Phil Younk |
Anyone who is not against us is with us,” Jesus says after John reports that the apostles saw a man curing the sick in Jesus’ name and because they did not know him, they told him to stop. Jesus tells the apostles, “Don’t try to keep anyone who is using my name from doing good. By their good acts they are showing their love for me. Anyone who does acts of kindness for my sake will be rewarded in heaven.” What a wonderful promise.
God generously and freely offers his love to everyone. Each of us is special because he’s given us different talents and abilities to love and serve him and others. With God’s grace, especially in the sacraments, we can live as children of God. Following Jesus’ example we can share God’s love and goodness with others.
We’ve mentioned the saints before and some of the wonderful, courageous things they did to show their love for God and others. What’s a saint? Dictionaries say a saint is a very kind, thoughtful person, a friend of God, and a holy person.
In October we will celebrate several saints’ feast days. Saints such as St. Therese, the “Little Flower,” who did simple, small things without complaining and became a Carmelite sister; St. Francis of Assisi who gave up family riches, became a monk and spent his life serving the poor; St. Teresa of Avila, intelligent and hardworking, who founded convents and monasteries and wrote letters and books which are still read today; and St. Luke, a physician, who wrote one of the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles in the Bible.
These saints did some pretty “big” things for God. But it’s important to remember we have to learn to do “little” things well before we can do “big” things.
Even though you are not a grown-up, you can make a big difference in the lives of your family and other people around you. Some examples: help your mom unpack the groceries, smile and visit an elderly neighbor, help Dad clean out the garage, help your younger sister or brother get dressed, rake the lawn for Grandma and Grandpa, talk to a classmate who is sitting alone on the playground, or share your favorite toy with your brother or sister. What other little things can you do for others?
Being kind to others is pleasing to God and the people you care about. Little things do mean a lot.
(Couture is a catechist at St. Aloysius Parish, West Allis.) |
