Sometimes one hears a comment that shines light on a truth that you already knew but didn’t really think enough about, or that you were keeping in the back of your mind.

Those kinds of comments leave me asking myself, why didn’t I have that more prominently in my thoughts and prayers?

Sometimes such a comment helps us to know ourselves better, and that can help us to follow Jesus more closely in our daily lives.

I heard one of those comments the other day. I was listening to a Catholic radio program that features two young Catholic women. By their voices and their discussions I would imagine them to be in their mid-20s.

During the program, they discuss very openly their desire to lead a Catholic life and their struggles to make that happen. In a very down to earth way, they talk about how being Catholic impacts their lives in everything from finding time to say the rosary, to going to confession to getting to Sunday Mass even on one of those mornings when they are not especially motivated to do so.

And they are women who live in the world, so they are very aware of the pressures that they face and how counter-cultural they are by seeking to live their faith.

What caught my attention the other day was when they were talking about dating and their desires to find a good Catholic man to marry and start a family with. They talked about how hard it is for a committed Catholic woman to find and meet young men who share Catholic values.

One of the women, however, took the idea a step further. She talked about a Friday night when she was home alone without a date and, as she described it, on the sofa with a glass of wine watching another movie.

She said it suddenly occurred to her that this is not how God works. She said she realized that she does pray, she does go to Mass and she struggles to believe what the Church teaches. But by sitting home and not making her effort to get out to the right places to meet other Catholics, she was asking God to make Mr. Right run into her without her doing the work.

They concluded the show with the thought that God often doesn’t just make things happen, even good things. But He continually asks us to put forth our effort.

While there are many situations where this reflection would apply, two come to my mind immediately. The first is Sunday Mass.

Our most recent census of Sunday Mass indicates another drop this past year, about 1 percent. Of course we have all heard the laments that Mass is boring, that “I don’t get anything out of it.”

Following the young ladies’ reflection, we might ask:

�–� What did I put into the Mass?

�–� Did I dispose my heart, look over the readings beforehand or even join in the singing at Mass?

�–� Have I simply made the effort to go without fostering even a hidden attitude of grumbling or resistance?

The beauty of our encounter with Christ at Mass shines through more clearly if we are disposed to see it instead of wishing to be somewhere else.

A second situation is that of marriage and family life.

The number of marriages, not just within the Catholic Church by the way, is declining, accompanied by increasing cohabitation. Divorce is a painfully present reality in society. And family life often seems not to be what it once was.

Does the young lady’s comment apply also here?

Parents might ask:

�–� Are we putting ourselves into marriage and family life as the true vocation that we have received, that is our way to eternal life?

�–� Are we demonstrating clearly the goodness of marriage and family to our children?

And young people, you too have many opportunities to choose commitment to the family over other alternatives, both in thought and in your actions.

Unless we are truly committed, family can be lost as a primary value and become just one among many others.

It is often fashionable to lament elements of the Church and our Catholic faith, especially those elements that most reflect our humanity, good and bad. We hear, “When is the Church going to change? When will the Church change the Mass or make changes in marriage or other teachings or practices?”

Is that really what needs to change?

Those young women reminded me that God typically asks each of us to contribute to the good things that He gives. He asks us to change by getting off the sofa, turning off the movie and going forth to live our Catholic faith more fully.

If we are looking for a New Year’s resolution, that is a pretty good place to start.