Living into our Identity as Beloved

As someone who works for the Church, it is often difficult to set healthy boundaries between my work life and my personal life. As a parish staff member, it is easy to feel like I should always be doing more. After all, unlike office workers at huge companies, I know I wouldn’t be “doing more” for a faceless, multi-national, bazillion-dollar corporation. Instead, I would be “doing more” for Jesus, for my Beloved, for the God who made me. How could I say no to that?

And yet, Jesus does not call us to wear ourselves ragged, as though we had to earn our place in His heart. Personally, I know that I often fall into the trap of thinking that by “doing more for Jesus,” I can somehow earn more of His love. But this is a lie! Children do not earn the love of their parents. The identity that we have as sons and daughters of God through baptism, like our identity as biological sons and daughters through birth, is something that cannot be earned or lost, but is only to be given by our Father and received by us.

This Lent, Jesus has been asking me to focus less on my work and more on my identity as His beloved son. I’m learning that I need to minister from my identity as a child of God, rather than mistaking my ministry for my identity.

Our patroness St. Thérèse, whom I affectionately call my big sister in heaven, perfectly expressed this concept of “spiritual childhood.” Her teaching on spiritual childhood is why, in fact, she is one of only three dozen saints in the whole history of the Church to be accorded the title of “doctor” (that is, teacher)! So, as we continue through this season of Lent, would you kindly pray for me? Ask Jesus to help me see myself the way He sees me. I promise to do the same for you.

Your brother in Christ,
Daniel