Category: Uncategorized

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One of the best-known columnists in America today is David Brooks. He’s written several insightful books on character and morals, his most recent being, “The Second Mountain.”

Last week I searched for it on Amazon and after pushing that button, “Buy now with one click,” it arrived safely at my door on Monday morning. 

Brooks’ basic point is that there are two mountains that any person can climb.

The first is quite obvious – it’s the mountain of success.

Get out of school, start a career, and climb the company ladder. Accomplish all those things that our society deems important.

But countless studies have shown that when we get to the top of that first mountain and look around, the view is ultimately, even surprisingly…unsatisfying. 

While it’s important to succeed – it’s important to put bread on the table – if we place all of our eggs in that one basket, then we’ll never be happy.

Deep down, we know we were made for something more. 

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Enter the second mountain. 

Elsewhere, Brooks calls this the “eulogy mountain.” What will people say about us when we die? 

They won’t consider the car we drove or the suits we wore.

They’ll ask whether or not we led a meaningful life – were we faithful in our marriage – was I faithful as a priest? Were we a reliable friend? Did we bear other people’s burdens? Did we see God in our neighbor?

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In the Gospel Jesus tells us, “Love one another the way that I have loved you.” You might say, he’s moving our attention towards that second mountain.

It’s the only mountain Jesus ever climbed. 

He never accumulated wealth, status, or property. He was only concerned about showing us how to love.

But his example can be incredibly difficult to follow.

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For example, if we examine some of our deepest relationships, we may find there’s still an element of fear or selfishness at work. Often – perhaps unconsciously – we ask ourselves, “What am I going to get out of this relationship?” 

We consider the happiness that we will receive if such a relationship works… Or, conversely, the loneliness we may suffer if such a relationship ends.

At the bottom of many relationships, then, we may find ourselves – not the face of another.

On some level that’s natural. But it’s not how Jesus commands us to love.

“Love one another the way that I have loved you.” In other words, do not think about what you can take from someone else; rather, focus on what you can give. 

That’s how Jesus spent his life. He was total gift. 

“But he was God!” you may be thinking. Yes. But he was also fully human.

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Like Jesus, how much of myself do I give away? And how much do I keep? How much of me is hiding behind a wall?

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If that’s not already deep or challenging enough, let’s take it just one step further.

Christ teaches us that love doesn’t always lead to instant happiness. Sometimes it’s quite painful.

For Jesus that meant carrying a cross and bearing our sins… But for us?

Love may demand that we accompany our spouse through an addiction … or journey with a friend who’s battling cancer.

Love may urge us to give someone a second chance, or to accept a family member for who they are – not who we want them to be.

Love is not blind; it sees clearly. It accepts people’s strengths, weaknesses, their quirks and all. 

That’s the way Jesus loves us – just as we are – and it’s how we should love one another, without an ounce of judgment.

Who is one person in my life that can I love a little better – whether it’s my spouse, a friend, or even someone I don’t love at all? 

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Love can be thrilling … and, at times, exceptionally painful. But the more we climb that second mountain the happier we become, because love is what gives our lives meaning. 

As Saint Paul says, “If I do not have love I have nothing … I am nothing.”

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“The Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul… [so] they laid hands on them and sent them off” (Acts 13: 2-3).

This was the first missionary journey ever recorded. It’s believed Barnabas and Saul sailed together for three years – and they covered quite some distance.

But they were constantly on the move because their lives were being threatened at every corner.

Imagine the courage it took to preach the Gospel to total strangers – hoping they’d respond in faith – only to have them try to kill you instead!

But every time they were run out of town, Barnabas and Saul sailed another 20 miles downstream and started all over again.

That journey was only possible because they were convinced that Jesus was raised from the dead – and therefore death ultimately held no power over them, either.

Otherwise, they would’ve naturally reached a breaking point.

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But here’s the other side of the coin: Barnabas and Saul sailed together. Never were they asked to be alone. As Jesus says, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

In other words, God is always present in the community. 

And that’s what he wants for us – to stay together; to remain united…to remain united in our families, united in our friendships, united in our Church, united in our world.

How might I be a force for greater unity in my relationships with others today?

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Abraham Lincoln once said, “All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my mother.”

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Isn’t that true for so many of us?

Much of the good within us we learned from our mothers.

Motherhood is a thrilling, exhausting, and uniquely rewarding experience in life.

It’s a role that some of us will never play, but hopefully we’ve all had the experience of being loved by a mom.

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Recently, I had the opportunity to ask some moms about the challenges, struggles, and rewards of motherhood. Perhaps some of their answers will resonate with you.

When asked about the greatest joys of being a mom, many said either, “Watching my children make good choices, becoming who God created them to be.”

Or, “Watching them grow and discover their talents. Each stage of their life is precious and a wonder to watch.”

When asked about the challenges of motherhood, some remarked, “Letting my children learn from their mistakes… worrying about their safety… or wondering what kind of people they’ll become once they leave the nest.”

But the hardest question of all: What’s the biggest struggle of motherhood?

Nearly everyone said the same thing: “Watching my children experience physical or emotional pain.”

That scene rips your heart out.

Every mom’s been there – you know that helpless feeling of watching your child weep with a broken heart or a broken leg. Even a skinned knee sets off a mother’s tears. You’d give anything to take their place.

But you can’t.

All you can do is hold them in your arms, wipe away their tears, and assure them that everything will be okay because, “Mommy’s here.”

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My brothers and sisters in Christ, everything that is holy, good, and beautiful in motherhood we find in Jesus.

Like a mother, Jesus has the ability to nurture and to feed… He feeds us with his Body and Blood every time we approach this altar.

To those receiving First Communion, in particular, I encourage you to always remember this – Jesus will never leave you.

Like a mother, Jesus is relentless in his willingness to sacrifice for us – to make amends, to protect us, to heal us, to understand the quirks of our hearts.

He never loses interest – whatever excites us, whatever weighs us down – Jesus wants to share.

Imagine him saying, “Come to me just as you are and I will love you because you are mine.”

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That’s the love of a mother – it’s also the love of Jesus.

Bringing Abraham Lincoln’s words a little deeper, we might say, “All that I am or hope to be, I owe to Jesus.”

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As strange as it sounds, on this Mother’s Day we should also pay tribute to the Lord, considering what good he’s done in our lives, and how we might follow him better.

As Jesus says in the Gospel today, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me.”

To be a Christian, then, means not only thinking about Jesus; it also means acting on his word.

Our mission this week – and really every day of our lives – is to answer the following questions:

Where is the Lord asking me trust him a little more? Where is he drawing me deeper into a relationship with him?

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Just as mothers delight in the undivided love and attention of their children, so the Lord delights in us.

May we give Jesus our best, because like Mom, he deserves nothing less.