Deacon Dave Etters
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Jesus teaches that the only way to truly find life is to surrender it to Him. This homily explores the freedom, joy, and transformation that come from placing Christ at the center of everything.
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Take My Heart, Lord: Losing Our Life to Find It
One of the most challenging teachings Jesus ever gave is also one of the most life-changing:
“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:39)
At first, these words sound almost contradictory. How can losing our life actually lead to finding it?
The Gospel isn’t calling us to despair or self-hatred. Instead, Jesus is inviting us to let go of the illusion that we can build a fulfilling life apart from Him.
John’s Gospel presents the same truth in another way:
“Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.”
The message is not about rejecting the gift of life. Rather, it is about surrendering our selfish ambitions and allowing Christ to become the center of everything we are.
Christ Lives in Me
St. Paul explains this mystery beautifully in Galatians:
“I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me.”
The Christian life is not simply trying harder to be good. It is allowing Jesus Himself to live through us.
Seventeenth-century Scripture scholar Cornelius a Lapide described it this way:
“It is not my own will that now drives me into action, but Christ’s grace…the wellspring of humility, fortitude, wisdom, joy, peace, and every virtue.”
When Christ becomes the source of our lives, everything changes.
Why We Hesitate
Many people hesitate to surrender fully to God for two reasons.
First, we fear losing control.
We like knowing where we’re going and managing every detail of our lives. Giving that control to God can feel unsettling.
Second, we fear missing out.
The world often tells us that following Christ means giving up happiness, excitement, or fulfillment. But that is one of the oldest lies of the enemy.
Jesus never takes away authentic joy.
Instead, He orders our loves correctly so that everything else can finally be enjoyed as God intended.
The Birdcage
Imagine a beautiful bird living safely inside a cage.
The cage protects it, but it also limits it.
Then Jesus opens the door.
He doesn’t force the bird to leave.
He simply invites it to fly.
That is what Christ does for each of us.
He invites us out of the small life we try to control into the freedom and adventure of trusting Him completely.
A Personal Witness
Twenty-two years ago, after returning to the Catholic Church following two decades away, Deacon Dave began studying theology simply to deepen his faith.
During those years, a pastor planted a small seed by asking whether he had ever considered becoming a deacon.
The answer was immediate:
“No.”
Yet over time, God continued to work.
Eventually, during Eucharistic Adoration before ordination, the presence of the Lord became unmistakably clear. What had once seemed impossible became a joyful “yes.”
That surrender changed everything.
Today, bringing Holy Communion to the sick and homebound has become one of life’s greatest blessings—far greater than anything the world could offer.
That is the promise Jesus makes.
When we lose our life for Him, we discover the life we were truly created to live.
God Gives Back More Than We Surrender
Following Christ does not destroy the good things in our lives.
Instead, He restores them to their proper place.
Jesus Himself tells us:
“The thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)
Everything becomes richer when Christ is enthroned in our hearts.
A Prayer
St. Catherine of Siena once prayed a remarkable prayer.
She asked Jesus to remove her own heart and replace it with His.
May that become our prayer as well.
Take my heart, Lord, and give me Yours.