Being Great in the Little Things

This week we celebrated the Feast of St. Francis Xavier, a Saint our family has always felt close to over the years.

Once upon a time, we even took a pilgrimage to Melaka, Malaysia, so we could visit his original burial site and walk the streets he walked on his way to the East.

Not easy to get to, but let me tell you that in a predominantly Muslim country, the influence of St. Francis Xavier filled Melaka with a Catholic Spirit that is still alive and well today.

Honestly, when you walk those streets, you know one thing: men and women who say “yes” to God leave a lasting impact on the spaces and places they visit.

They become the very feet and hands and arms that bring Christ’s love and truth to a world that is desperate for it — and this presence is felt long after they are gone.

Imagine the humility of a God who allows His creatures to become like Him? Imagine the generosity of a God who wants to allow us to become glorious, too?

That is exactly what all the Saints have done before us. They have allowed God to transform them, to make them more like Him — until they become gushing channels of Christ’s grace for the world and the people around them.

Perhaps more beautiful is that the Saints didn’t aim for “big” things as much as they aimed to bring love into even the littlest of things.

They understood that to become great, you must focus on the small, the unseen, the “insignificant” in the eyes of the world.

St. Francis Xavier has a quote that perfectly summarizes this idea — but it’s also pretty perfect for this first week of Advent, too.

Perfect because it’s all about the importance of the little things  — like that little Baby in the womb of Mary 2,000 years ago — hidden from the world, but radically important!

Who would have known that a little Baby, hidden in the womb of a little unknown woman who said “yes” to God would change the course of history in such sweeping and dramatic ways?

Christian or not, you have to admit that Jesus left His mark on history — and in so many ways, His choice to be born of an unknown woman in a city of no real importance is a “shoutout” to all the little people trying to be faithful to God in their little ways.

People like you and me.

People just living their lives, trying to love the people around them in their small ways — yes, sometimes failing — but always dusting themselves off and trying again.

The truth is, NO ACT OF LOVE IS EVER SMALL in God’s eyes.

He sees it all, and one day, I think we’re all going to be amazed at the people who are closest to Christ in Heaven.

Most of those people will likely have lived “small lives” in the eyes of the world  — but God doesn’t judge the way others judge our significance — He sees the heart.

He sees the love we put into our actions, and one day, He will honor those unknown saints who lived heroic lives of little things done with great love.

So make this little quote words you try to live by this Advent. Do the small things with great love.  

Forget what the world thinks and keep your eyes on that little Baby in His Mother’s womb. Allow that little Baby to change you. Allow Him to help you say “yes” to your mission in life.

The irony is that the littler you try to become, the greater and more glorious God can make you. So seek Him first and remember that BIG things begin with very LITTLE things, so strive to be great in the little things!

Happy First Week of Advent!