Translating a World on the Edge

Belief: a feeling of being sure that someone or something exists or that something is true.

Where do your personal beliefs come from? Can you really trust the source?

I grew up in a small town where neighbors knew neighbors, children were taught manners and held to them, and families went to church. There were role models in my town, people we trusted and loved, not people made up for some sort of performance. Real people.

Many of today’s role models are those who’ve made names for themselves in sports, movies, television, social media, and politics. They live lives that we envy–money, notoriety, control of others. Somehow the idea pervades our society that these sorts of people are better than most, better than we are because they are so important.

Well, this is so not true. The importance of  a person lies in his heart, not in a newspaper headline.

I think of a seemingly unimportant woman who spends her entire life unknown by any but a few close friends, a woman devoted to her children and husband, a woman who cares for others when they are sick or depressed or in trouble.  I think of a person whose only claim to fame is that she loves. A woman who believes that loving is her mission, and has a will strong enough to commit to it. A woman who can overcome anything because she believes this world is not all there is.

I think of a seemingly unimportant man who works for  his family, provides for his children, is honest in his job. A man who prays. A man who does not let go of his convictions for something less important. I think of a person whose only claim to fame is that he loves. A man who believes that loving is his mission, and has a will strong enough to commit to it. A man who can overcome anything because he believes this world is not all there is.

I think of a seemingly unimportant priest committed to his parish, or his order;  a man whose vocation has been demeaned by some, yet he continues in the holiness of it. A priest for others no matter their often gross imperfections. I think of a priest whose only claim to fame is that he loves. A priest who believes that loving is his mission, and has a will strong enough to commit to it. A priest who can overcome anything because he believes this world is not all there is.

And here is something else I think. When we stand at Heaven’s Gate, we will have no notoriety except the love we’ve shown others.  Because God does not read headlines. God reads hearts.