Daily Digest #35

I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh. —Romans 9:3

I always thought no one else would ever take care of me but myself. It led me to a life of total independence, not caring what others might think or say about me because they had nothing to do with me anyway. I thought i have freed myself of worries, of experiencing pain, and of blaming others. If ever i did, i willingly took the hurt because i knew it was of my own doing... But then again, i realized how worthless everything had been... no matter how i looked at it, i saw myself as a selfish and cowardly person. It was a big slap on my face when i learned that each of us ought to love our brothers and sisters as we love ourselves. At first i thought, why would i sacrifice my effort and time for someone who i might never even see again? Then it made me realize that each of us has a purpose. That our paths have crossed for a reason... maybe to learn something from this person, or for him/her to learn something from us. Either way, it's a win-win scenario. I guess life is really all about learning.

We're also used to thinking that everything is about us, that we are the center of the universe, and we're too busy to be even bothered by others' problems. And sometimes, we only do good because we think we will be saved if we were good. We forget that it is through God's mercy that we are saved, not because we earned it.

For this, may we pray to God, to teach us to love. That we may learn to share the compassion of His heart; to be ready to give a cup of water to others who need it. May we unselfishly live for others. May we remind ourselves why Jesus died on the cross in the first place. Pray always.