Deacon Dave Etters
Watch the Homily Short
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Jesus tells us, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” In this Homily Short, we reflect on the fear of surrendering our lives to Christ and discover that following Him is not about losing joy—it is about finding the fullness of life. Through the beautiful image of a bird leaving its cage and the example of St. Catherine of Siena, we are reminded that every day Christ invites us into true freedom.
Read the Homily Short
Take My Heart, Lord, and Give Me Yours
“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Powerful words from our Lord.
I think there’s a fear that we all have—I know I’ve experienced it—in losing our life, picking up the cross, following the Lord, and taking on His life.
We like to have things under our control. Another thing we fear is that we’re going to lose some of the exciting things, the fun things, or the joys of this life. We think we won’t be able to do this or that. We imagine that God has called everyone to a life of isolation and monasticism, as though that’s the only high calling.
But God calls people to different lifestyles and different vocations. Every vocation is unique, just as every person is unique.
Still, we’re often afraid that we’re going to miss out on something.
I’ve often thought of it like a birdcage. We’ve been created as this beautiful, colorful bird, yet we’re living inside a cage. The cage feels safe. It protects us. It’s familiar. It’s controlled, and it feels like home.
Then Christ comes along and opens the door.
He says, “You’re not losing anything. Come. Fly. Be free. Drink deeply from the life of joy and the fullness of life that I give you. Come with Me.”
We shouldn’t fear losing our life for His.
But surrendering our life to Him isn’t something we do just once. It’s an ongoing, daily decision.
Each day we lay aside our own ambitions and consciously, intentionally enthrone God in our lives. When Christ is truly at the center, every other love and every other interest is properly ordered—not destroyed—and we are able to enjoy them in ways we never could have imagined.
St. Catherine of Siena, in her burning love for Christ, once prayed that He would remove her heart and give her His.
And that’s my prayer today:
“Take my heart, Lord, and give me Yours.”