The key words in this line are: little, exceedingly, love.
One example of a ‘little thing’ is our ability to smile, and
how we smile at someone: tight lipped, a type of reluctant smile, if it can
really be called a smile, or a broader smile, obvious in its movement,
radiating joy and love. A little thing when it is a real smile is done, gifted,
exceedingly well for love of Jesus within the other.
We live in a time in history when doing big seems to occupy
many of our brothers and sisters.
Everyone’s definition of a big thing or a big deal is personal,
likewise for what is considered a little thing.
It would be audacious here to codify what constitutes either
big or little for someone else.
That said, little things we might do are things most people
would not notice we have done, or perhaps not even notice they need doing. To
do little things is, since in a sense they are hidden, a wonderful way to love
Jesus sort of in secret.
There are countless, and important ways and things to do
witnessing to our love for Jesus that are by necessity not hidden, or barely
hidden, such as giving what we can to a homeless person begging or volunteering
in a soup kitchen or a hospice, participating in Sunday Mass and other aspects
of the life of the parish, and in these days of the pandemic and lockdown
isolation, particularly stressful on the elderly and people who live alone, a
phone call is both a little thing and a big deal for the person comforted by
the sound of a human voice that cares.
Each of us, and if we are not sure then we can ask Our Lady
to show us, can discern the little things that need doing within our homes, for
example.
Often, we don’t do them because we believe they are someone
else’s job!
The neat thing about doing little things, in particular when
perhaps they are indeed someone else’s job, is they bring us joy, when done
exceedingly well for love of others, which is love for Jesus, that joy
intensifies!
1] http://www.madonnahouse.org/mandate/
© 2021 Fr. Arthur Joseph
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