Life is beautiful but has troubles and roadblocks. Life is like a rose: beautiful but has thorns. This was the theme for the Novena Homily for the month of February. Father Tom, a priest at St. Rita of Cascia High School, used this theme to explain the week’s gospel which talked about how Jesus wants us to be child-like but not childish. In the gospel reading, Jesus inspires us to all be like a child, free from worry and troubles but not selfish and childish, complaining and thinking only about ourselves. Father Tom used the rose as a way to explain what Jesus is inspiring us to do. Life is beautiful and is like a rose but it does have its thorns. No life can be perfect and smooth like the petals of a rose. There are going to be troubles and difficulties that we are going to have to get through and they might hurt a lot but it is part of life. While Valentine’s Day has come and gone, there is a center piece in the middle of our dining room table that was given to us from a good friend in Chicago with 5 red roses in it. Some were in full bloom when we got the gift and others were not. Some have started to wilt and others are still growing. This bunch of simple flowers is still beautiful yet some flowers have died before others. Father Tom was right. A rose is like life and situations we can all relate to. One day everything is beautiful and you are feeling happy and accomplished and the next day you feel like a thorn: hard, hurtful, and not so nice.
My volunteer experience has been similar to this explanation of a rose. Some days I feel like I am doing so much to help the client’s of the Family Case Management program and other days, like last Friday, I want to yell at the client’s for not showing up for their appointment and making me wait. It is times like these that make me stop myself, take a deep breath, and realize life has its thorns. This feeling was intensified the week before when we found out that a fellow AV and our good friend Jenny was in critical condition in South Africa because of blood clots in her lungs. It took a terrifying and heart-wrenching couple of days for me to realize that life is not all pretty, beautiful, and about what is happening in Chicago or the U.S. It is about the large AV community, the community of Catholic Charities, the South Africa community, Jenny’s family, and everyone else who was affected by this news. It took a large group of people to come together and pray for Jenny. Pray like we have never prayed before. And our prayers were answered. My prayers for Jenny to be a fighter and be infused with the light of the Holy Spirit came true. Jenny was touched by God, by her family, by her roommates, by the AVs in the U.S., and everyone else who prayed for her. Jenny and everyone else experienced a miracle from God that is the biggest most beautiful rose I could ever imagine. Jenny is continuing to be the rose we knew she always was and regain strength each and every day. God continues to touch Jenny and answer our prayers as she recovers and shows everyone how amazing she really is.
Father Tom’s homily was inspiring and thoughtful. His Novena homily’s always make me reflect about everything that is happening in my life and how much I have grown in my faith through this year of service and living in community. I am now able to say that I have fully dedicated my life to serving others and I strive everyday to be faithful and dedicated to serving God, my community, and my clients.
I am called to be faithful and loving to everyone I meet. I am called to be strong yet weak at times. I am called to walk humbly with my God and the people who are in my life. My life and every life is like a rose. No one life is perfect because then God wouldn’t have to have Jesus die for our sins. We are child like because we should have a care free attitude yet be dedicated to the people in our life that matter the most. We need to be grateful for what we have learned because the gift of learning is the ultimate gift. As an AV, I have learned the great power of prayer, respect, and dignity. I have embraced the life and people God has given. Just because someone has 9 kids does not mean she is not a good mother. She may need extra help and assistance but as long as she is open to help, I am willing to help her. Success doesn’t always mean wealth and fame. It can be getting an education, getting a job, following through with a task or asking for help when its most needed. Whatever it is, we can help and be there for someone in need, whatever that looks like.
I may not know what I want to do with my or what I want to be but I do know one thing: I want to help people, I want to make a difference in someone’s life. Is your life more like a rose or like a thorn? What is God calling you to do? I encourage you all to reflect on this while always remembering that life is like a rose, beautiful but has some thorns.
Chicago Fact: With the massive amounts of snow and lack of snow removal around the city, the phrase “dibbs” has become a reality. Residents in all neighborhoods have shoveled out their car/spot in front of their house/apartment after a snow storm but then when they leave, they put furniture (ex. Chairs, toys, tables, etc) in the spot until as “dibbs.” This has caused QUITE the issue for people like me who drive to neighborhoods and have to part near client’s house for a short period of time. I have had to drive around the block 3-4 times to find a spot that is not taken by “dibbs” of the client’s furniture.
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