Loyal as Old Max

As a parent, I take seriously my job to help my children develop personal attributes that will make them better persons and strengthen them on the road to heaven. In a word: virtues.

I was trying to teach the virtue of loyalty one day when our old dog, Max, came to mind.

Max was about as loyal as they come. He followed me everywhere I went. He always greeted me at the door with unbridled enthusiasm, whether I had been gone for several days orjust an hour. I could scold him or speak harshly to him, but my mood or expressions never dampened his loyalty. It didn't matter to Max if my hair was a mess or I felt grumpy. He didn't care if I loved my husband and children more than him. He didn't base his loyalty to me on what others thought of me. When I called, he came.

As I pondered Max's loyalty, I began to see how this furry, four-legged creature could give me a glimpse of Jesus' loyalty to me. Jesus is there for me, always. It doesn't matter what I do or how I treat him. I know he will be waiting by the door to greet me no matter how long I have been away. I know his loyalty isn't based on where I've been, how I look or how grumpy I might be. When I call, he always comes.

The question is: How loyal am I to Jesus?

In trying to answer this question, I again thought of Max. I remembered the times of my life when I was so busy that I gave little attention to old Max. With each birth of another child, for example, my days became consumed with family duties and activities. Through all those times, Max just kept on, steady as ever, offering his unconditional love, affection and acceptance for me. His loyalty never diminished or changed.

Isn't that how it is sometimes with our relationship with Jesus? We invite him to live with us, but when life gets busy, we forget to acknowledge him. There may be nights we lay our heads on the pillow and say, “Good night, Jesus. Sorry I didn't pray today. Maybe I'll do better tomorrow.” We become so consumed with our works and responsibilities that we push him aside like an old dog. He gets the scraps of our day and of our hearts. Do we really want to treat Jesus like a forgotten pet?

I've heard some say that it's okay if they sometimes forget to pray. Their work is their prayer. That is good. We should offer up our works to God. But is that enough? How well would we know our children if we only took care of them and never took time to really talk with them or listen to them?

Cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan of Vietnam once said, “The works of God are not God.” I find myself repeating this statement often as I catch myself being caught up in the works of my vocation as wife and mother. The cardinal's wisdom has helped me to realize that, to be a loyal follower of Jesus, I must give him my heart. To be loyal to Jesus, I need to spend time with him in prayer. I need to quiet my heart and listen so I'll hear him when he speaks to me. I need to read the Gospels and learn from him. I need to receive him frequently in the sacraments.

And, as I do my daily works, I need to consciously recognize him in the little faces that I wipe clean of peanut butter and jelly. I need to see him in the cashier at the supermarket. I need to see him in my co-workers.

As I shared these reflections on loyalty with my children, I asked them: “Does Jesus get the scraps of your day?”

If I asked you, how would you respond?

Jackie Oberhausen writes from Fort Wayne, Indiana.