Memorial of St. Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr
Seminarians of Conception Seminary College are our daily reflection writers for the first half of November. Every day will feature a reflection from a different seminarian. This is an opportunity for our seminarians to put their education into practice and connect with the people of God in a pastoral way.
Today we hear from the Gospel of Luke. Something that stood out for me while praying on this was, “Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it.” This is Luke reminding us that we must sacrifice our earthly lives to grow closer to Christ.
I saw this in action when I was on a mission trip in Peru. I saw these amazing people who had next to nothing. Their homes were made out of bamboo, the floors were dirt, the metal roofs had holes from rust, and livestock was roaming in their home. Despite all these, their faith was stronger than anything I have ever seen before. The pastor at the Church I was staying at told our group that some of these people walked for miles so that they could attend daily Mass in the evening. This strong sign of faith moved me. The community had next to nothing but still had a strong faith.
I live in this world of an abundance of things, a roof over my head, and clean clothes to wear. Yet the people in my community seem not to have the same love of Christ that these people in Peru have. The reflection of this moment has allowed me to start to detach from worldly pleasures and focus on what matters, the love of Christ. Bishop Fulton Sheen said, “Once you have surrendered yourself you make yourself receptive. In receiving from God, you are perfected and complete.”
Reflection by Henry Nguyen, seminarian
Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections