Guest Column / Richard Etienne

How would you define your commitment to living your Catholic faith?

In what hobbies, sports, organizations or lifestyles do you metaphorically have your “toe in the water” or have minimal commitment or involvement? In which ones are you “fully in”?

Take a brief moment to consider how you utilize any free time as well as any discretionary money when either is available as you begin answering this question.

If you are like many others, you will probably find that there are some pursuits that use larger blocks of time, but other endeavors that you have minimally committed yourself to.

There is a wonderful story about a professor who entered a classroom one day with a large mason jar and a considerable number of rocks.

The professor puts several of the rocks into the jar and then asks the students if the jar is “full.” The students agree unanimously that it was in fact full.

Then the professor adds several smaller pebbles to the jar and again asks, “Now is the jar full?” Again, the students agree that the jar was quite full.

At this point, the professor adds a good deal of sand to the jar. (Some versions of this story continue with pouring water into the remaining space in the jar.)

The parallel that is often drawn from this story is: what are the large rocks (or activities) in one’s life that limit the number of smaller pebbles (additional lesser pursuits), and eventually, the sand particles (even smaller) that will still fit into one’s personal schedule?

As you ponder these questions, where is your current commitment to your faith? Is it a large rock for which you make sure that there is time and energy daily? Or is it a small rock, or even sand, that simply fills in whatever space is still available?

In the Gospel of Luke, we hear Jesus tell Simon Peter, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch” (Lk 5:4). (A person eventually has to ask if there has been too much fishing in shallow water in his or her life.)

It is very clear to me that the specific level of commitment to faith that the Church’s martyrs have given—absolutely everything—includes the ultimate sacrifice of death for their beliefs. And there are many people who have taken very public commitments to

holy orders (priests or deacons) and religious life (sisters or brothers) that require a number of personal sacrifices to walk faithfully each day.

But there are also many examples of lay individuals who have made selfless sacrifices of service to family, Church and the greater community.

I ask again, where is your faith in this discussion of personal pursuits—is there a large rock filling much of your jar? A much smaller rock or piece of sand? Or another affiliation or club that somewhat defines who you are?

Are you pleased with what you see when you reflect on your current commitment? Why not take this issue to prayer and ask God to show you where he would have you go “deeper” as you journey on “the Way”?
 

(Richard Etienne has a degree in theology from Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in St. Meinrad and resides in Newburgh, Ind.) †