"Fill 'er up!" to stay 'lit' for Jesus"!

To "carry a torch" for a friend means that we have a warm spot in our heart for him or her, and we won't let it dim. We might even say we love that person.  By “human love” we mean an emotion, feeling, attraction, etc.  We can feel this way toward another person, toward some activity or toward many things in life.  We can “love” to play sports, or watch movies, etc.

We all carry torches for someone.  For many of us, that’s a lot of torches; Family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, pets, etc.  That requires a lot of fuel.  That fuel is known as charity.

Charity is more than just simple human love.  Charity means we love with the heart of Christ.  It means that Jesus has placed in our hearts His own merciful heart and we love with His love.  Charity is a gift from God that enables us to reach out to and care for others in ways that are far beyond our own abilities.  Charity is divine action in our lives; and it is necessary if we want to be welcomed to the feast of Heaven.

In Matthew (25:1-13), Jesus warns us not to run out of fuel or we run the risk of our flames extinguishing and our invitation to “attend the wedding feast” of Heaven being rescinded.  So how do we keep our fuel replenished?

Perhaps your torch is lit by your prayer life and you keep it lit by taking time every day to quietly connect with God, asking for spiritual strength. Maybe it’s taking time to seek hope and guidance from Scripture.  Maybe it’s putting in a little extra effort studying the teachings of Christ to receive more wisdom from the Holy Spirit. Or maybe it's the suffering you've endured for the sake of unconditionally loving someone who doesn't love you back equally, and you've offered your heartbreaks to Jesus as a sacrifice that unites you to His cross. Or it's the joy of using your gifts and talents in the Church. 

Whatever it is, don’t be caught without your torch lit when Jesus comes for you!