Listen

Jesus replied, “The time has come for the Human One to be glorified. I assure you that unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it can only be a single seed. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their lives will lose them, and those who hate their lives in this world will keep them forever. Whoever serves me must follow me. Wherever I am, there my servant will also be. My Father will honor whoever serves me.”

John 12:23-26

Think

Every once in a while I find myself believing that all that I have accomplished in life I have done on my own, as if I entered the world free and independent from the actions of people before me:

• my grandparents who risked so much to come to the United States from China and the Philippines;
• my parents who did all they could to provide shelter, food, and education;
• my church who, for generations, has cared for people in times of struggle;
• and the strangers, friends, and family who have made my path easier in ways that I will never know.

None of us achieves, gains, or succeeds on our own. We work hard and are sometimes rewarded, but we must never forget that others have prepared the way before us and we stand on their shoulders as we seek to follow God.

Bruce Reyes-Chow

Pray

God, let my life be lived with gratitude for those who have prepared the way before me and give me the courage to live a life that prepares the way for those yet to come. Amen.

Go

Go forth into the world with justice and compassion in your heart.

Give voice to the silent.
Give strength to the weak.
Hear one another.
See one another.
Care for one another.
And love one another.

It’s all that easy.
And it’s all that hard.