A Thought to Begin
“Love ought to show itself in deeds more than in words.”
— St. Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises
“It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the action that we do.”
Scripture
“Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.”
Reflection
At the end of Mass, I often hear these words:
“Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.”
I cannot honestly say there have been many times that I stayed and reflected on those words or considered how God was inviting me to live them.
But I do think about the spirit of those words often.
I don’t believe they simply mean volunteering at the soup kitchen once a month and calling it good. I believe they are an invitation to a way of life.
As I have come to understand God’s love in my own life, I have also come to realize that His desire is for each of us to share that love with others—not only with our family and friends, but with every person He places in our path.
Over the years, two saints have especially shaped the way I try to live out that calling: St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Teresa of Calcutta.
St. Ignatius reminds me that love is shown more in deeds than in words.
Mother Teresa reminds me that it is not how much I do, but how much love I put into what I do.
Together, they remind me that every act of love matters. God isn’t asking me to do everything. He is simply asking me to love the people He places in my path, using the unique gifts He has given me.
That became a life-changing realization.
I began to notice the opportunities God places before me every single day.
When someone unexpectedly comes back into my life, I often find myself asking:
“Lord, why have You placed this person back in my path? How are You inviting me to love them? What do You want me to learn?”
Have you ever wondered why God places certain people in your path, no matter how small a role they seem to play?
Maybe it is the cashier at the grocery store.
Maybe it is the elderly neighbor.
Maybe it is the coworker who needs an encouraging word.
Maybe it is the young mother struggling with her little ones at Mass.
I have come to believe that no one enters our lives by accident. Every person God places in our path is an opportunity to share His love.
Will we notice?
Will we take the opportunity to reach out?
Will we choose to become the hands and feet of Christ?
After all, that is what life is really all about—sharing God’s love.
Our family has a simple motto:
“The heart is happiest when it beats for others.”
I have found those words to be beautifully simple…and profoundly true.
Something to Think About…
Who has God placed in my path today, and how might He be inviting me to love them?
My prayer is that together we will begin to recognize the people God places in our path and discover that when we share God’s love with others, our own hearts become happiest.
Because love is never wasted.
Every act of kindness, every encouraging word, every quiet sacrifice, and every moment of compassion becomes another way Christ loves the world through us.