empty or rich?

Growth in spiritual life requires continuous sacrifice, for it is sacrifice that gives us grace... and it is grace that brings us closer to God. As St. Teresa said, the more we sacrifice, the more we open ourselves to God's grace. And let us not forget, God's grace is infinite.

But these sacrifices sometimes leave us with a feeling of emptiness, of being stripped down of what we have.

We may lose our friends for standing up for God when they are choosing to live a different life. We may find ourselves hungry when we give what we have to those who need more than we do. We may find ourselves feeling empty when we see everyone around us living a grand life in materialism. Everyone around us may have all the material riches of the world, and we may find ourselves having none.

But let us not forget what we gain in our sacrifice. Let us not forget the grace that we receive. Let us not forget God, who enters our lives. If we forget, then we have gained nothing with our sacrifices. If we lose sight of the reason of it all, all of the sacrifices are in vain. And that is a greater loss.

So press on. Continue to run the race. For even if you have losses, what you gain is infinitely more than what others offer. You may feel empty, but you are actually rich, for you have the source of all richness in you.