Gospel: John 12:24-26
Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.”
It
does not mean that we should despise ourselves or the life that God has given
us. Rather, it means that we should not allow the things of this world to
become more important to us than Jesus. It means giving our lives in the
service of Jesus so that, through us, others may come to know Him.
When
we refuse to give our lives to the mission of Jesus and simply keep them for
ourselves, we may gain worldly possessions, recognition, and even riches, but
our hearts may remain empty. We may grow in worldliness while failing to grow
in wisdom, faith, and love. Eventually, our earthly life will come to an end,
and we will realize that the things we accumulated cannot give our lives the
lasting meaning that only God can give.
When
we choose to give our lives to the mission of Jesus, we may no longer find our
deepest fulfillment in the things of this world as we did before. Yet,
something beautiful begins to happen within us. The Holy Spirit slowly
transforms our hearts and opens our eyes to a deeper reality. We begin to
discover a more profound meaning in life—a meaning that cannot be found in
wealth, success, possessions, or worldly recognition, but only in Jesus.
Why?
Because we have chosen to give our lives to Him. We have chosen to turn away
from a life centered on ourselves and worldly desires and to move in the
direction of Jesus. We choose to walk hand in hand with Him, trusting that
wherever He leads us is far better than wherever the world may lead us.
Jesus
Himself showed us the greatest example. He willingly gave His very own life on
the cross so that the Kingdom of God could grow and flourish. His life was not
lived for Himself; it was offered for the salvation of all. In the same way, we
are invited not to cling selfishly to our lives but to offer them generously to
God and to others.
When
we surrender our lives to Jesus, we may think that we are losing something, but
in reality, we are discovering what life is truly meant to be. We discover that
our lives become most meaningful not when we possess more, but when we give
more; not when we are served, but when we serve; not when we seek our own
glory, but when we glorify God.
The
world may tell us to hold on tightly to what we have, protect our comfort,
pursue success, and live primarily for ourselves. But Jesus invites us to a
different path—the path of self-giving love, humble service, and complete trust
in God. It is a path that may require sacrifice, but it is also the path where
we encounter the fullness of life.
Let
us therefore ask the Holy Spirit to examine our hearts. What are the things we
are still holding on to that prevent us from giving ourselves completely to
Jesus? What worldly attachments keep us from becoming more generous, loving,
forgiving, and faithful?
If
Jesus has given everything for us, are we willing to give something of
ourselves for Him? And when our earthly journey comes to an end, will we be
able to look back and say that we did not merely live for this world, but that
we offered our lives to Jesus so that, through us, others might come to know,
love, and serve Him?
Have we truly found the essence and meaning of our lives in
Jesus—and if we have, are we ready to surrender ourselves more fully to Him
today?—Marino J. Dasmarinas
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