On Being Generous

By Todd Sylvester, Mobile, Ala. - St. Ignatius

We all have standards that we live by. We draw lines, either in our heads or literally in our environment. When someone asks me for a “favor”, I always want to know what it is before I commit to it. Especially from some of my friends who have a tendency to push me to the limit of generosity (like the guy who asked if I could pick something up for him using my truck- it just happened to be a piano in Birmingham!) I continue to ask God to stretch me beyond my comfort zone of giving. I ask for greater opportunities to die to myself. I ask for God to show me deeper ways to give. I honestly don’t have much money to give away. I tithe and then give what else I can, but I do have talents that I can give away. I love helping out people in need. I am conscious about where I have drawn the lines in my own life and ask God to help me move them. When I hold back and say, “No, this is as far as I will go!” That’s when God will tenderly invite me to more.


A friend and I were talking one time about what our wives expect of us and what we normally do around the house and he was very critical of me. He told me that I blew it long ago. I asked what he meant and he said I should have drawn the line in the sand when I was first married (like he did) because as soon as you do something once, your wife expects you to do it all the time! To which I responded, “So does God.” Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:18 “Tell them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, ready to share, thus accumulating as treasure a good foundation for the future, so as to win the life that is true life.” I’m not where I need to be yet. I still have lines in my life where I stop giving, but with God’s Grace I’ll get them all erased before I take my last breath- may you do the same. Peace, Todd

Commitment - Being ALL IN

By Todd Sylvester, Mobile, Ala. - St. Ignatius

I just returned from visiting my son at the seminary and it took me a few days to process the sea of emotions that I swam through. I was obviously elated at seeing him and the wonderful formation that he is ascribing to, but what took me by surprise was his sense of commitment. He honestly doesn’t know yet if God is calling him to the priesthood, but he is committed to finding out. He is committed to doing whatever it takes to grow closer to God and learn more about His love and His Church. He is committed to embracing all the precepts of the seminary schedule- the 6am Holy Hours, the daily prayer and spiritual direction. He is committed to not dating while he is discerning and he is committed to whatever God asks of him and wherever that may take him. In other words, he’s ALL IN. The word commitment comes from a Latin root that means to begin a course of action and to hold fast.

I think we get into trouble when we lose this sense of commitment. Letting my “Yes” mean “Yes” and my “No” mean “No” would solve so many of my mistakes and problems. God desires us to be fully committed. There is only one place in the whole Bible where the term “lukewarm” is used. Revelation 3:16- "So because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spew you out of my mouth." Not a pleasant image. Today I invite you to recommit yourselves to your faith in God. Let’s not just say the creed, let’s live it. Peace, Todd
 
(Todd's son, Stephen, is a first-year seminarian for the Archdiocese of Mobile, at St. John Vianney Seminary, in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he attends St. Thomas University.)

Life is Very Much Like Fishing

By Todd Sylvester, Mobile, Ala. - St. Ignatius

Life is very much like fishing. There are great days with perfect weather and great company. All your gear works perfectly, from the boat to no tangled lines, and the fish bite so well that you catch your limit in no time. You relax thinking about how great it will all taste. Then there are bad days with horrible weather and people you don’t get along with and frankly, don’t like. The boat won’t start, and once it does, you can’t keep it running. You've got tangled lines, your favorite lure is lost to the sea, and not one fish is hauled in. But in both instances, you’re fishing.

I saw a great bumper sticker that said, “A bad day of fishing is still better than a good day at work.” And if you substitute “Fishing” for “Life” and “Work” for the opposite of “Life” then our perspective is opened to God’s Truth. Life is GOOD, regardless of the circumstances. Whether your day goes exceedingly well or is the worst you’ve experienced thus far- it’s still a day of Life, and Life is Good. I hope God grants you lots of days and I do hope they are great, but even if they’re not, I’m still grateful that God gave you the gift of Life. Peace, Todd