Jesus has a plan for each one of us, and it is a perfect plan. Our very existence impacts the world around us. But the extent and significance of that impact depends very much upon our outlook on life and how we choose to use the gifts with which God has blessed us.
I recently had the honor of meeting and visiting with a man of real conviction whose self-described mission in life is impressively well-defined—namely, to increase the number of souls who will spend eternity with God in heaven. What a noble goal! Imagine every Christian taking his stewardship of God’s gifts so seriously. The world would be a different place indeed.
This particular successful businessman I met came to a point in his life when he wanted to divest himself of the fortune he had made so as to make the greatest possible positive impact in society. As a longtime philanthropist, he considered a host of options, such as giving millions to research institutions that could perhaps find a cure for cancer or other diseases, which could prolong many people’s lives here on earth. But he figured that such gifts would be relatively inconsequential in the end, since merely a longer life would rarely impact the eternal destiny of a soul.
The settings in which this man felt he could make the most lasting—and even eternal—contribution were two: Catholic education and Catholic media. These two mediums seemed to hold the most promise for exerting a positive influence on the most souls over time. So, little time was wasted as Catholic schools were erected and Catholic radio stations established. From one man’s personal resources, solid Catholic formation now is being provided more broadly to young and old alike. This singular gift to the Church unquestionably will influence generations to come.
The crowning achievement for this Catholic man’s generous ambitions would be the establishment of a genuinely Catholic university—one steeped in the truths of Sacred Scripture and the Catholic Church’s storied traditions. In gratitude to Mary, the Blessed Mother of God, this new university’s very name (Ave Maria) would reflect the honor that the angel Gabriel gave to Mary for being open to receive Truth Himself: Jesus. Its students likewise would be offered that same Truth.
It was at a fundraising dinner for the new Catholic radio station in Baton Rouge that I enjoyed with hundreds of others the inspirational story this man had to share. He is none other than Tom Monaghan, founder of Domino’s Pizza and the aforementioned Catholic institutions. This man, raised as an orphan by religious sisters, in time came to appreciate the value of authentic Catholic education, whatever its source: Catholic schools, radio, newspapers, etc. With Catholic education and media as his preferred tools, Mr. Monaghan consciously chose to use whatever means God provided in his life to help build up the Kingdom of God here on earth so as to increase the eventual count of souls in heaven. Who can question the integrity and nobility of such an aspiration?
Not too many folks have tens of millions of dollars to invest in creating new Catholic universities or to invest in other worthy endeavors. But each one of us can become a difference-maker by placing the gifts God has given us at His disposal. Our time, our talents and our treasures become a blessed impetus for the growth of God’s Kingdom once we come to realize why they were given to us at all. Thanks, Tom, for sharing your gifts, and for making a difference for us all.
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