True sacrifice, like true romance, does not exist in the present. It is something we look back on and determine to be a sacrifice after the fact. In the present we are only doing what we feel is necessary. (And are usually too confused, nervous, and scared to think clearly.)

All the things parents do for their children, at the time, is frustrating and annoying. Only after all is said and done are we able to look back and categorize it as sacrifice. Ask the soldiers who landed in Normandy, ask firefighters running towards a blaze,.. you can even ask Jesus, and they will all deny that they were making a sacrifice at the time. They will tell you that they were only following their path, and doing what was necessary in the moment. In fact, to consciously set out to make a sacrifice is a dangerous attitude reserved for fanatics.

This makes for a tricky game we play,.. like walking a razor’s edge. On the one hand we should ignore and resist anyone who tells us that we need to sacrifice for the greater good; as that is usually emotional manipulation. On the other hand, we should not be afraid to walk our path and do what is necessary in the moment; even if it might end in sacrifice.

A very tricky game,.. for both individuals and institutions.

Imagine the Catholic Church, as a whole, following the example of Jesus. Being willing to risk everything to do what they feel is necessary in the present moment.