A quick update

As many of you (or all of you) know, I am going to Rome for my graduate studies on my road to become a priest. Let me be perfectly honest with you, internet community, because I know you have always been honest with me... save the times I've had to look up disease symptoms.

The few weeks leading up to my departure have been somewhat agonising. The goodbyes, the packing, the not-wanting-to-forget-anything-ing, the procrastination, the thought of more classes, early mornings, exams, homesickness, etc.
Well, as you can imagine, one's sight can become rather clouded when knee-deep in the mire of self-absorbed consternation. Nevertheless, I recently had an epiphany.

It was right after I went to confession at my parish, I was kneeling before a statue of the Blessed Mother praying my penance, when I realised: I am not going to Rome for something, I am going for somebody. 
Plain and simple, I was going for Jesus' sake. Getting down to brass tacks, that was it. Looking past all the other stuff was that first movement of my soul from all those years ago pushing me to enter seminary in the first place. It was not for the sake of an institution, someone's expectations, or even my own satisfaction. Jesus is asking me if I would be willing to fly across the ocean for Him. Not for all the awesome experiences I will inevitably have, the authentic Italian food, and most definitely not for bragging rights or my own ego. Just for the Love of God. When I had that epiphany, everything suddenly seemed to be okay. Am I still nervous? Yes. Duh. But knowing that I was doing this for a whom and not for a what changed everything.

Think about it: What are you doing, and for whom are you doing it? Whether we know it or not, we do everything for somebody. It may be for our families, ourselves, or for God, but we do it for someone. Figure out who your doing what your doing for, and that may determine whether or not you should keep doing it.

Just remember: God takes everything personally, and thanks to His mercy, that is actually very good news for us.