The Heroic Journey of Life
I think I have left you all in suspense long enough. It is time to answer those questions: How do I get out of this funk? How do I break free of the chains of a life that is monotonous and tedious? How do I find mission and zeal in the midst of a routine?
At first, when I found myself beginning to flounder in this "tediousness," I began to brandish a crucifix as my weapon, and at the start of the day with a victorious yelp claim the day for Jesus! (In my mind, not aloud, definitely not out loud). I would valiantly suffer through each task in the name of Jesus!
I will make these phone calls for Jesus!
I will book these rooms for Jesus!
I will deposit these checks for Jesus!
I will do this task for Jesus!
Though seemingly the stuff that movies are made of, this tactic soon became lackluster. There seemed to be nothing truly heroic in the measly daily tasks I was accomplishing and the circles I seemed to be going in. Where was my St. Joan of Arc moment?
I have always been a fan of the saints who have epic and intense stories--like St. Joan of Arc who went into battle and then was burned at the stake. While she was being burned alive, she allegedly shouted to a friend--"Lift the cross above the flames, so I can see it as I die!" Epic, right? Heroic, right? I want to be like that. I want to be a totally B.A. saint. I did not feel like I was getting there in this 9-to-5 life and my cutesy war cry was not helping.
Boy, was I living under a false notion of heroism and what being a saint means!
To take a scene from one of my favorite movies (While You Were Sleeping):
Lucy: You give up your seat every day in the train.
Peter: Well... But that's not heroic.
Lucy: It is to the person who sits in it.
I had been falling into Peter's mentality of "oh, but that's not heroic." Lies! Silly Satan is at it again trying to trick me into believing that my everyday routine cannot be holy, heroic, and epic.
What is holiness after-all?
Saint John Paul II said it pretty well when he said, "True holiness does not mean a flight from the world; rather, it lies in the effort to incarnate the Gospel in everyday life, in the family, at school and at work, and in social and political involvement."
We need to bring the Gospel into the moment we are in. We need to bring Jesus to where we are, wherever we are. No if's, and's, or but's about it! No excuse of "Well, I just file papers." Bring the light of the Gospel into it. That's how we get to be epic heroes like St. Joan of Arc. By conquering the task that is placed before us, because it is the fight that the Lord is asking us to fight.
So...what does that look like?
I can't tell you what it looks like. It varies. It depends. It's all about what God's will is for your life. Take it to prayer. Ask Jesus or even sing to him--"What do you want from me? What do you want from me?" (Yes, sing it like Adam Lambert). He'll tell you! Then...Nike--just do it.
I can tell you that for me right now, this means living out this nine-to-five life and this routine, but asking Jesus what he wants for the day and giving it to Him. Sometimes he puts a new person in my path to meet. Other days he just wants me to joyfully do a monotonous task. Some days its just listening to a friend at work. But I need to truly give Him the day, not just brandish his name.
So I say to you, dear reader, be a saint where you are! Heck, the world needs it. I need it. Be a saint in your office, in your school, in your home, in your dorm, in the cafe, in the grocery store. Be a saint in your everyday life. Our everyday lives need saints!
Be a saint. Be a hero. And your life will be an adventure, a heroic journey.
At first, when I found myself beginning to flounder in this "tediousness," I began to brandish a crucifix as my weapon, and at the start of the day with a victorious yelp claim the day for Jesus! (In my mind, not aloud, definitely not out loud). I would valiantly suffer through each task in the name of Jesus!
I will make these phone calls for Jesus!
I will book these rooms for Jesus!
I will deposit these checks for Jesus!
I will do this task for Jesus!
Though seemingly the stuff that movies are made of, this tactic soon became lackluster. There seemed to be nothing truly heroic in the measly daily tasks I was accomplishing and the circles I seemed to be going in. Where was my St. Joan of Arc moment?
I have always been a fan of the saints who have epic and intense stories--like St. Joan of Arc who went into battle and then was burned at the stake. While she was being burned alive, she allegedly shouted to a friend--"Lift the cross above the flames, so I can see it as I die!" Epic, right? Heroic, right? I want to be like that. I want to be a totally B.A. saint. I did not feel like I was getting there in this 9-to-5 life and my cutesy war cry was not helping.
Boy, was I living under a false notion of heroism and what being a saint means!
To take a scene from one of my favorite movies (While You Were Sleeping):
Lucy: You give up your seat every day in the train.
Peter: Well... But that's not heroic.
Lucy: It is to the person who sits in it.
I had been falling into Peter's mentality of "oh, but that's not heroic." Lies! Silly Satan is at it again trying to trick me into believing that my everyday routine cannot be holy, heroic, and epic.
What is holiness after-all?
Saint John Paul II said it pretty well when he said, "True holiness does not mean a flight from the world; rather, it lies in the effort to incarnate the Gospel in everyday life, in the family, at school and at work, and in social and political involvement."
We need to bring the Gospel into the moment we are in. We need to bring Jesus to where we are, wherever we are. No if's, and's, or but's about it! No excuse of "Well, I just file papers." Bring the light of the Gospel into it. That's how we get to be epic heroes like St. Joan of Arc. By conquering the task that is placed before us, because it is the fight that the Lord is asking us to fight.
So...what does that look like?
I can't tell you what it looks like. It varies. It depends. It's all about what God's will is for your life. Take it to prayer. Ask Jesus or even sing to him--"What do you want from me? What do you want from me?" (Yes, sing it like Adam Lambert). He'll tell you! Then...Nike--just do it.
I can tell you that for me right now, this means living out this nine-to-five life and this routine, but asking Jesus what he wants for the day and giving it to Him. Sometimes he puts a new person in my path to meet. Other days he just wants me to joyfully do a monotonous task. Some days its just listening to a friend at work. But I need to truly give Him the day, not just brandish his name.
So I say to you, dear reader, be a saint where you are! Heck, the world needs it. I need it. Be a saint in your office, in your school, in your home, in your dorm, in the cafe, in the grocery store. Be a saint in your everyday life. Our everyday lives need saints!
Be a saint. Be a hero. And your life will be an adventure, a heroic journey.
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