Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it

"Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it."  (Luke 17: 33)

This is one of the great paradoxes of the Gospel.  To live you must die.   To be first, you must be last.  To grow more, you must first grow less.  To learn the secrets of the Kingdom, you must be childlike.

What does all this mean?  Things are not exactly the way you see it.  In the world, we walk by sight.  In the Kingdom, we walk by faith.  A childlike disposition opens us to the possibilities of sacred world around us full of mysteries.

Jesus teaches in the scripture above that to preserve your life, you must be prepared to lose it.  You must be ready to exchange what you have for something greater and higher.  Saints and martyrs have done this.  When St. Francis of Assisi abandoned his wealth and lifestyle, he found Jesus, the Pearl of great price.  St. Ignatius Loyola left behind his world and made the same discovery as St. Francis.  Every generation, thousands of people instead of preserving their lives are losing it to find new life in Jesus Christ.  Those who hold tenaciously to the old life will lose it anyway.  It is guaranteed. (Luke 17: 33)