The priest during the catechism class asked the children this question, “what is your greatest desire?” there was all the expected answers that I want to be a teacher, doctor, engineer and some children also wanted to become priests and religious. He noticed a little girl sitting silently without any answers and asked her, “what is your desire little girl?” she answered, “I want to eat stomach full and get a good night of sleep. She was part of a family where her father came home drunk every night and in a fit of anger and intoxication would throw out the food and the family out of the house in the middle of the night. The family often slept hungry in the open. At the time her only response was for food and a good night’s sleep and not things that will earn us position and respect in the society.

We work hard to achieve everything we dream off forgetting everything else. In this mad rush we often fail to feel and hear the pain and cries of our neighbors. We are afraid to lend a helping hand to others as this may derail our plans to succeed and become a laughing stock in front of others. This drives us further from the kingdom of God. We often utter the words as a formality that we need to help others and be a support in time of their needs but when it comes to actualizing these words we run away from it. This is because we do not have Jesus in our lives. We are like a sea devoid of water – without Jesus in our lives. Christ does not live in the people who run after fulfilling all the desires of the world. Christ lives in people who are ready to sacrifice their happiness and desires for the sake of others even to those who don’t deserve our help. Let the grace of God be with us and guide us to empty ourselves and live us another Christ.

Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test (2 Corinthians 13: 15).

Eldho Paul