Going by the issue date of March 19, we are a little more than two weeks until Easter.

Time for the hypothetical “How is your Lent going?”

If you’re a “good Catholic” or with a lot of “Catholic guilt,” you probably think you could be doing a lot more.

This is just a guess, but you’re probably in a high percentile of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving compared to others, but you still don’t think that you’re doing enough.

Of course, what is right for you is between you and the Almighty and not comparable to “others,” but maybe you’re doing better than you realize.

We can always do more, but how much of our everything does He want?

If I had to guess, we could start answering this question with the words “all your heart . . . all your being . . . all your strength . . . all your mind” (Luke 10:27).

That doesn’t leave a lot leftover, does it?

Very soon in church, we’re going to be reflecting on the story of the Son who did give EVERYTHING so that we may have eternal life.

If we are to live by His example, is that the end goal? Is it the 2026 equivalent of dying on a cross? What exactly does that look like?

Sacrifice versus ‘sacrifice’

There are numerous stories about people who sacrificed themselves for something “greater”.

We have intentional stories such as that of St. Maximilian Kolbe, who offered his own life in the place of another in a Nazi concentration camp.

We have the story of St. Oscar Romero, who preached against what he saw as violations of human rights and was later murdered while celebrating Mass.

We have other kinds of stories too.

We have stories of people who overworked at their jobs to reach a level of greatness, but sacrificed themselves and sometimes their families in the process.

Anecdotally speaking, sports coaches may fall into this category. They work 20-ish hours a day to win games or a championship, but at what cost?

Is a hall of fame jacket or ring worth risking one’s health or bonds with family members?

“Fans” will applaud and appreciate those “sacrifices” for the sake of their home teams, but were they the right thing to do?

Let’s say I’m overworked at my job. Let’s say I’m stressed at my job. Let’s say things are getting so challenging that I’m on the verge of a mental breakdown or a heart attack. Let’s say one or both of these things happen. Is it worth it? I’m working for the Church and trying to do my part to “Go Make Disciples,” but is it worth giving my life or my health for that cause? My beloved would probably have a quick answer to that question. Do I “Catholic guilt” myself into pondering what God wants from me? What good is a burnt-out, snapped, collapsed, or dead editor?

How do we know when to give that “everything” to God, and how do we know when it’s time to save some of ourselves for something greater another day?

Maybe there are moments when we can say “My hour has not yet come” (John 2:4) and “You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, because my time has not yet been fulfilled” (John 7:8).

Of course, just as we come to a comfortable answer, we’ll remember “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to [the] poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven . . . come, follow me” (Matthew 19:21).

Everything I have?

Answering what He asks

Over the course of salvation history, some were called to literally die on the Cross, whereas others had other crosses.

St. John, whose work I have quoted a lot, did not have a wooden cross meant for him.

Going strictly by Earthly notions and desires, if one had to choose between a St. Peter fate (upside-down crucifixion) or a St. John fate (living out old age on an island in the Aegean Sea), I can guess what most would choose, using their humanity as their guide.

Perhaps, for most of us, the answer lies somewhere in the middle.

We are all called to sacrifice and suffer according to who we were created as by the Almighty.

There may be a future martyr reading this today who doesn’t make it past 40.

There may be someone reading this who lives to be 110 and serves as a witness to the Faith through many trials and challenges, but always with a sense of joy.

We can always look toward the lives of the saints as examples, but we are we and they are them. We can only be who God made us to be.

God wants everything, but He wants OUR everything.

He doesn’t want our everything to be defined by a neighbor we aspire to be like or by an enemy we are jealous of.

Is it possible to give too much? If you gave just to prove a point to yourself or others, absolutely.

If you gave a lot, but didn’t do it for or by the grace of God, what did you really give and what good was it?

Pray for clarity about what your “everything” is that you can sacrifice. Find that joy that God intends for you.

Thank you for reading.

I’m praying for you.