The Greatest Love: A Look at John 15:13

John 15:13: "And here is how to measure it--the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends." (New Living Translation)

I have heard this verse throughout my life and read it on various shop knick-knacks and inspirational posters. However, until this past week, I assumed it was about earthly friends, but the reality is, John intended for us to view this as how Jesus treated us as His friends. He was the ultimate sacrifice to allow us to be forgiven for our transgressions.

I'm very new on my faith journey. I didn't even entertain the idea of God and Jesus Christ until I was 18, and even after that waiting period I did not regularly attend church until I was 20. I'm constantly falling short of His grace, but through this verse, I am never without it. My sins are forgiven so long as I turn back to God and seek retribution and guidance for the errors I can't break free of. It's hard to stand when facing the trials of this world, but it's never impossible because my best friend is with me through every step.

I'm not looking for a friend to lay down his life for me, because He already has. He has shown me love and support from the moment He created me to the moment He died for me to this moment I'm writing these words. It's hard to remember that, and it's another thing on my list of things to get better at.

I still feel anger. I still feel hatred. I still harbor burdens. I still feel alone. But when I remember He is the friend who laid down His life for me, I am no longer alone. And when I remember all that this friend has already done for me, how can I harbor grudges for another in their transgressions? How can I feel anger and hatred for someone when He knows all my insecurities and still shows me acceptance?

There is no greater love than Jesus Christ. May He bless all on this world that we may know Him and His Father and the Holy Spirit.

Authentically Me: Seeking and Welcoming Peace

For 2018, I had one vision in mind: discover my authentic self. I have been listening to positive affirmations by Jason Stephenson, specifically "Authentic You," and finished off 2017 by reading Perfectly Yourself by Matthew Kelly. Both of these resources slide the focus off of others, events, and expectations to focus your mind of learning who the real you is.

The first growth lesson I aimed for was always having a book on my night stand to read. I've been an avid reader since elementary school, and reading is something I let fade to the background in the previous two years. I have since finished reading two books by Matthew Kelly: Perfectly Yourself as well as The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic. Currently on my nightstand are The Divine Life of the Most Holy Virgin, visions given to Saint Mary of Agreda, and Almost Catholic by Jon Sweeney. 

I did not intend to set out reading only religious or faith based texts, but after finishing Perfectly (my church gave each household in the parish a copy on Christmas Day), I only wanted to study more about the church. Without realizing, my first resolution led to my first step in growth and discovering my authentic self: I need to seek out and welcome peace into my life, heart, mind, and soul.

Seeking Peace

I don't know many people who don't want peace, but I also know people who seek out gossip and drama because I was once one of those people. Not that I wanted drama in my life, but hearing about others' suffering made my suffering more bearable. Not only is this outlook cruel, it was also self-sabotaging in the long run.

My health problems, while they are temporary, have caused a greater need for peace of mind in my life. But I am also in need of a peace of heart. I am terrible at forgiving people, and that is one way I need to seek out peace. It's hard for me to give up anger and hurt because I have control of whether I want to be angry or not. I have control of when I want to let that anger consume me. If I cannot control the person hurting me, I will at least control when I let that anger loose.

What I don't yet realize is that having control over my anger only counts when I refrain from harming another individual with words or actions or even thoughts. Forgiving allows me to release the anger and thus find my peace, but forgiving means giving up control in not only this situation, but the next when you allow the person to try again with you. It's scary and humiliating, but it's common sense when we remember God has all control and I definitely need more humbleness in my life.

Welcoming peace in a way other than forgiveness? That might be more difficult.

Welcoming Peace

With my constant pain, stress is something I cannot afford to handle in heavy doses. However, my experience in a stressful relationship made me realize that the stress from that relationship caused me more pain than the happy times could counter. That is when we both realized the only way for me to be healthy was for us to part ways.

I spent a few weeks crying, one week in my bed with the curtains closed, and many nights wondering if it was time wasted. But after the first week, my pain significantly lessened. Within a month I could get through a day with pain medication. With time I learned that in order to find a peace in my health, I needed a peace with my mind and heart, and that meant momentarily breaking my heart.

I often seek peace, but when I find it, it's not in the form I expected. I want no pain and less stress from my relationship, so God, make it happen. It doesn't work like that. He gave me less stress by removing me from the situation causing the stress. Common sense, sure. Easy to do, not really. But God knew it had to be done, so he made it happen, and now I'm reaping the rewards of the peace I didn't want but needed.

I need to welcome all the peace that comes into my life. If I lose stress by going through a break-up, that lesson in peace alone makes the entire relationship worth it. I learned a lot about patience and trust with this man, but most of all, I learned that even good intentions are not enough to create true peace.

I will seek peace out and I will welcome it in all its forms. At least, I will try. I won't be able to discover the authentic me without bringing her to peace first.

Step Parenting within the Bible and The Divine Life of the Most Holy Virgin

The Divine Life of the Most Holy Virgin

Within the second chapter of The Divine Life of the Most Holy Virgin by Mary of Agreda, it's easy to witness the level of fragility and purpose God formed to ready the Virgin Mary in her mother's womb. The Messiah was set to be born free from the sin of our world, but it is not Mary's family that prophesies the Messiah's coming.

In the Book of Matthew, chapter 1 outlines the lineage of Jesus going back 28 generations to Abraham. Something that is not often focused on is who the lineage actually connects to in terms of Jesus' earthly parents; "Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Messiah" (1:16). Jesus was foretold by prophets for hundreds of years, but his history is connected to his stepfather rather than his biological mother.

Joseph's line is remembered even though he had no physical relation to Jesus. God chose Joseph to be Jesus' stepfather, to raise him and teach him, even though Jesus came directly from the greatest Father, Our Lord. Joseph stepped up to care for a child that was not his (Matthew 1:18-24) because God needed Joseph in Jesus' life to stand in for Him to instruct Jesus in the earthly methods of living by holiness and humility. 

Only Joseph could teach Jesus everything he learned while he was alive. Despite the fact that Jesus was born aware of all things, the family structure was still vital to his upbringing for the world to witness, and all that is highlighted is the fact that Jesus was raised by a loving mother and father. It does not play a role that the man who raised him did not also play a part in his creation.

Parenthood is not just blood; it is who teaches the child what is right and just. Even God recognized Joseph as Jesus' earthly father. We must take our call and responsibility as parental figures genuinely because we don't know who God will entrust to us. It does not matter if the earth does not count these extra ones ours by its standards. 

Our role in a child's life may hold a larger meaning than we are aware, just as Joseph never knew he would be the last in his line before the Messiah without being biologically connected to the child he called his son.