So they took Jesus, and carrying the cross himself he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews.”     

In many ways, Ben Randall, a rescue swimmer for the United States Coast Guard, was a troubled man. As he told his student Jake Fisher, he only kept track of the people he could not rescue. His marriage was in shambles, the fact that he was aging was bothering him, and he did not feel good about what he had accomplished in life, although it was truly significant. As he lived his life, there was one thing that was more important to him than anything else. He may not have been able to label it, but it might be called an ability to give to another. He had chosen to be a rescue swimmer with the Coast Guard with the thought of giving of himself to save the lives of others; his motto was the motto of all rescue swimmers, "so others may live." He tried to teach his recruits the same. His gift of giving to another came to its ultimate test in a rescue mission that he was not scheduled to work. He participated in it only because he knew that he had to give what he could to his friend; he did not know that it would be his ultimate gift, one for which he would be given the name of "Guardian of the Sea."  

The theology of the death of Jesus on the cross is that Jesus desired to embrace his Father’s plan of redeeming love, a plan that involved giving on behalf of others. The plan inspired Jesus’ whole life; in fact, it can be said that Jesus' passion was the reason for his Incarnation. Believers accept that Jesus died for them. It was the ultimate sacrifice embraced so that humankind could enjoy God’s presence forever, the ultimate gift of oneself so that others could live.

Spiritual writers have continually pointed out that giving of ourselves is one of the foundational principles of better human living. People who can give of themselves in general are people who will love. Sometimes the love will mean nothing more than helping a friend in need. In marriage it will be defined in terms of living a life of giving to someone we have chosen to love forever. Sometimes love will require the ultimate gift of giving, offering our lives so that others may live, as the motto for rescue swimmers reads, as Jesus did for us.

Most probably, we are not going to be asked to give of our lives on behalf of someone else. But we are asked every day to give of ourselves in some way. It may be listening to someone who needs some attention; it may be giving some help we can give to another student or friend; or it may be giving of our time to bring about a worthwhile goal for better living. But as we consider our actions in life, if we bear the name Christian, we will learn from our guide Jesus that in some way we must give of ourselves so that others may live better than they are.

THOUGHT
 
PRAYER

Good and gracious God, your Son gave his life that we might live. He loved us so much that he gave the ultimate gift for our benefit. Help us be thankful, but help us also learn the lesson of giving on behalf of others. Be with us, we pray. 

Questions, comments? Let me know. Email Fr. Mike

©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America