by Margaret Ward, Our Lady of Victories

WHO has been your inspiration? Perhaps a parent or relative, a friend or maybe a teacher? Could it be someone from history or who you have encountered personally?

My inspiration has come from all of the above.

Reading about the heroic feats of soldiers in the Great War and how they overcame their own fears to help others. Talking to a person who has overcome great difficulties in their life but has carried on without complaint or bitterness. Watching people push themselves to the limit competing in sports, or enduring amazing hardship to raise money to help others. All these can be an inspiration to us.

For me, Jesus is the greatest inspiration.

He arrived at a time when his people were oppressed and under foreign rule; when there appeared to be nothing to look forward to. He gathered followers around him who were unhappy, disgruntled and searching for meaning in their lives. He told them stories about how they should look at the world; about loving everyone not just friends, about how to hope and pray for a better world and how they were to build it up through service. He worked miracles and cured the sick whether they believed Him or not; and most of all He inspired them to keep spreading the good news of God’s love.

As Christians today we are called to be the hands, voice and presence of Jesus in the places in which we live and work. We should be encouraged by the fact that many people rejected Jesus when he lived, so we should not always look for acceptance.

Jesus was pushed to the limit for love and He inspires us to do the same.