Dying to Self this Lent
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I cleaned up the mess of a 15 month old boy's self instruction in the art of eating, only to find an hour later I missed one more little crumb maker in a corner of the kitchen. I used to get mad at messes like this, but over the last year I've chilled out a lot. Somehow this cheerio made it into my rosary meditations last night. Somehow this little cheerio, my reaction to it and the Sacred Heart of Jesus all came together.
As I went through the Joyful Mysteries (Annunciation, Visitation, Nativity, Presentation and Discovery in the Temple) I thought of the incredible trust Joseph and Mary had in God. First you have two people who have a plan...got job, get married and live a nice little life in Nazareth with a few kids along the way. Then an angel appears to each of them and says...God has a different and much greater plan for you! Both gracefully accept their commission, and they became the gateway for our Lord Jesus to enter the the world and save our souls.
After meditating on the first four mysteries I found myself thinking about how each our arrival in our family changed our worldly plans. Gone were the new cars, fancy house, and two people generating good steady incomes. I thought of how we prayed over the decision to homeschool our children, and the lifestyle changes it brought on us. I thought of our acceptance of being open to life in our marriage with the blessings of five children and five miscarriages it brought. This brought me back to the Cheerio on the floor while Jesus was in the temple as a young man.
I related to the panic Joseph and Mary had when they could not find Jesus. I could only imagine the things they wanted to say when they found Jesus calmly going about his father's work in the temple. In the moment of finding Jesus, Joseph and Mary each were able to view a mini-transfiguration. Jesus foreshadowed to them his future mission, and how well he would perform it. Joseph and Mary were able to put all their emotions and order, and enjoy a moment of clarity on what their entire lives were entirely ordered for. Jesus' parent saw a glimpse of Jesus Sacred Heart on display.
That cheerio on the floor, one of hundreds I am sure, is one of the many of sins I've committed against God's law in my lifetime. Jesus may have used that cheerio to have me peer into his Sacred Heart. When I saw the cheerio, I quieted my mind and fury about why it was there. I just accepted it was there.
Christ gives constant charity to me for my sins despite the wounds I place on his heart. In turn, I must continue mirroring his charity in my life, despite all the changes and challenges the world and my choices put in the way. This is what his parents did, and this is what I am called to do in living out the gospel through word and deed.
Well time to go...little guy just finished his breakfast. Low and behold! There is a cheerio for me to pick up.
Eric Wojtkun is the owner of Capturing His Glory Photography, a part time studio and blog in Roswell, Georgia. Eric’s goal in photography and blogging is to capture and share a bit of the "Glory of God” found inside our daily lives we might otherwise miss. Eric is a committed Catholic, father of five, and husband since 1998 to a wonderful woman who at the heart of our family. Eric travelled the world as a child of a soldier, served as a soldier, married an Army nurse, became a civilian, and now resides in his 17th home. It is his 10th since marrying his wife (poor lady)! He hopes to stay put for a while in Roswell if possible! He and his wife currently hybrid homeschool children at the wonderful Regina Caeli Academy. (Click the link to read about our school please!)
Eric stays involved with his faith community by being the lead organizer for the Regina Caeli Blue Knights Boys Club assists with the Regina Caeli Darebots Robotics Team as a coach, help with the altar servers, and a budding ministry to help fathers grow stronger in the faith. Eric regularly finds himself humbled by wonderful God fearing people he meets, and teach him by example how to love and serve the Lord a little bit better. Eric maintains a blog for both the Blue Knights and Darebots, and you can follow their adventures by clicking the links above.
Eric maintains his personal blog and online photography store at www.capturinghisglory.com. He is available for a limited number of engagements and projects each year. Any purchases from his site result in 10% of the total price being donated to Regina Caeli Academy. Eric also takes custom orders, so if you see something you like not in the store…give him a call! Eric supplies his own photos for his posts,and maintains their copyrights.
