(2 Tm 4:1-8, Mk 12:38-44): Let's run through today with unquenchable passion!
Reflecting on the sacred meaning of the Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, I contemplate the heart of our Lord, who poured out all His passion and love to fulfill the will of God the Father. Because He loved God so deeply, His spirit was utterly captivated by and united with that love; He simply could not bear anything less than pleasing God. Is it not true that when we love someone that much, we can press forward in life with all our heart, soul, and strength, and that the fruits of such a life become incredibly precious and valuable?
Yet, at the same time, devoting oneself to what one loves most can be the most painful choice, fraught with the fear of falling short. The deeper the love and expectation, the greater the wounds that return. Everyone responds to their own blessed vocation in order to realize their earnest, beautiful dreams, and through that journey, to bring love and goodness into this world.
This is true for priests and religious who consecrate themselves to God, just as it is for the laity who commit themselves to their families and their places in life. However, when we encounter deep contradictions or a worldly struggle for power rather than the pinnacle of humble, holy love—especially in the very places we dedicated everything to serve the poor—the repetition of such disappointing and wounding experiences can shake the very coordinates and hopes of our entire life.
Yet, in those moments, I picture the Lord, who fell countless times with a body covered in wounds, but always stood up again to carry His heavy Cross. Even on that grueling path where He, the "Lord of Glory," had to walk in "miserable disfigurement," He kept His eyes fixed on the Father’s love and completed His mission. It is this path of the Lord that I seek to follow.
In Second Timothy chapter 4, verses 2 and 5, Saint Paul encourages us: "proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching... Be self-possessed in all circumstances; put up with hardship; perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry.“
This mirrors the reality of our lives. Even as the night or early morning deepens while preparing homilies with all my heart each day, I find myself gathering my resolve countless times. When preaching or lecturing in a language other than my mother tongue, encountering the heavy, closed eyes of lukewarm parishioners poses a powerful temptation to escape. I strive to dissolve a lifetime of love and passion for the Lord into the Word, longing to convey even a single phrase as the living voice of Christ. Yet, it leaves a heavy burden and a scratch of loneliness when parishioners instinctively check the time, looking past the authenticity and spiritual love of the message. I feel this same chill when facing the coldness of the younger generation, who subtly mock while considering their own efforts to be absolute perfection.
Nevertheless, whenever I stand at the ambo, I erase everything else and hold onto just one thought. Even if it is for just one person staying in this place, if I can be a gentle rain of grace that lifts their life up, I cannot give up. If it can bring comfort, even for a single moment when that person’s soul is awake, then staying up all night is never a waste. Even if this place were a barren desert where not a single person wished to listen, dialogue with God can never cool down; it is a blessing that brings unceasing growth and maturity.
Just as life is not something defined by others, how profoundly grateful and fulfilled would we feel to be embraced by the Lord after our days of faithful and beautiful struggle are complete? It would be a grace indeed if we could look back just as Saint Paul does in verse 7 of the same epistle: "I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith."
While the depth of knowledge or grace we have received may be useful, it is not the necessary and sufficient condition that determines the true footprint of our lives. What matters most is not how much we possess, but how much devotion we poured out and how much of ourselves we gave with passion—in other words, the heart of our offering. This outcome is always directly proportional to the magnitude of our love.
In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 12, verses 43 and 44, the Lord says: "Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood."
With these words, He reminds us that God looks directly at the love and passion dwelling within our hearts.
And a love and passion that dense and powerful anchors our steps so that we are not shaken by surrounding conditions. This is because it awakens us to the true value of life, strengthening us with a steadfast faith. Today, and every day, will you continue to respond and walk together on the path of the Lord? Amen.