Jesus Does Not Need Me: What I Gleaned From a Parish Mission

I do not know about you, but I tend to overthink things. I forget to celebrate the small wins and blessings that happen each day. Being focused on a goal and working hard to achieve that is no small thing, and making plans and persevering to achieve what God has called you to is so good, my friends. But, what happens when that becomes our main focus? I will tell you this: God has asked no man to travel at a speed that does not allow for silence and rest. Jesus took time on the mountain. He fled from the crowds and prayed. Those crowds needed healing, physical, emotional, and spiritual. He made them wait. He cared for Himself. If the Master of the World, the Creator of all things, the Saving Incarnation needs rest, silence, solitude, and prayer, who am I to do any different?

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The last three nights, my whole family packed up and headed to our parish. We had a mission with author and speaker, Jon Leonetti, sharing with us for just over an hour each night. There was childcare and my husband and I got to sit still, holding hands, listening…uninterrupted. Magical, I tell you. Jon focused on things that are foundational to the Catholic faith and seamlessly mixed in challenges for those that have robust prayer lives, as well. I wanted to take a moment and share my top 3 nuggets that I walked away with. No matter where you are in your faith journey, I think these all hit home.

1. Jesus Does Not Need Me

It is true. He does not need you. He chose to make you, nurture you, provide for you, and most importantly, save you. The Creator of creativity itself certainly could make another human to fit the roles He has called you to. Instead, He waits: lovingly. He longs to watch you blossom in His great Love. If you ever have the thought meander through your mind that you are not good enough, remember that God does not need you, He wants you. Whoa. Let that one settle into your bones a while. This book helped me realize my true value in Christ when I first read it in college. I encourage you to check it out if this is an area you struggle with!

2. Become a Saint

At the end of the day, every Christian has the same goal: Heaven. If that is not your tippy top goal, sister, it is time to stop, right now, and reevaluate your priorities. And be honest. I know this truth, but as I listened to it repeated to me several times in different ways, I had to acknowledge the gut check that was in progress, because, you know what? I do not think my life was aligning with this goal. I was not aching for Heaven each day the way I want to. Instead of focusing on what I have done wrong or what needed to change (except for introspective purposes, so I was aware of what I did not want to repeat), I just decided to change. Right then. I believe firmly that Saints are not generally made through grand, sweeping gestures: they are made in the tiny moments of grace and love. I become a Saint by serving in my Vocation with selflessness, joy, and love, especially among the mundane. If you would like to learn more about the Cannonized Saints, check out EWTN. They have a really thorough collection of Saint stories and you can sort the Saints by feast day or alphabetically. This daily devotional is another wonderful resource to introduce you to hundreds of the Saints!

3. Spiritual Warfare is Real

Listen, friends: I wear a St. Benedict medal every day and pray St. Michael prayers with fervency so many times a day, it is not even funny. But, the nuances of the enemy are so subtle! We have to be incredibly vigilant and constantly check our interior lives for anything not directly from The Father. Day 1 of this mission, Jon spoke about one of my favorite all-time books, The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. If you have not read this, do your soul a favor, click here and grab a copy or go to the library or borrow from a friend: I do not care how you get the book, just get it!! This book shows correspondence between two fallen angels about how to best manipulate us to win our souls for “Our Father Below.” It reminds me of the saying, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. To know how a demon works to “win” our souls is incredibly helpful to remaining on guard for the simple ways our hearts can be swayed negatively. It is not in big, sweeping ways, generally. Just like the path to becoming a Saint, I believe falling to the enemy also happens in the mundane. We allow our souls to be handed over, bit by bit. It is also a reminder of the true power of God when we release our will in favor of His! How quickly Jesus sweeps in, saving our hearts from eternal torment, earthly struggles, and tension, when we just ask! Do not let the concept frighten you, for Jesus defeats every struggle with a mere thought. He does not do this until we ask, though. As many of us know, Hell is a choice and God respects our free will to choose to be in the one place where He is not. Can it be hard to make the right choice? Maybe. But, once we do, our Grand Knight, our King, our Savior, sweeps us away and into His mercy, grace, and Love, so quickly! Let’s choose Love today. Choose it in the grand and the mundane and be relentless with hope!

If you would like to read more about Jon Leonetti, check out his website here or click here (The Art of Getting Over Yourself), here (Your God is Too Boring), or here (Mission of the Family) to see his books on Amazon! He also has a fun book on Mother Teresa, check that out here. Drop a comment below and share what your favorite “basic” is! I would love to encourage each other with the fundamental tenants of our faith. Peace be with you!

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