# The “All” Call – Giving Our Whole Lives to Christ
*2017-11-28*

> Bill Young reflects on Giving Tuesday, shares personal stories of cancer loss, introduces a lesser‑known Marian prayer{all} and explains why we must offer all of ourselves to Jesus, not just a portion of our time, talent, and treasure.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


































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## Giving Tuesday and Personal Loss

I’m glad it’s Giving Tuesday, a day that reminds us to support the charities we love. For the past seven years I’ve been involved with the Ariel Cancer Foundation, where I serve as a board director and vice‑president. This year we lost a young boy, just after his ninth birthday, to a brain tumor that returned after a brief remission. His mother, Monica, and his siblings have shown such faith in the face of suffering. I also lost a dear friend who battled breast cancer; after years of remission, the disease returned and spread. These personal tragedies sharpen my awareness of how precious life is and how much we need to pray for those who suffer.

## A Lesser‑Known Marian Prayer

Around July 13, 1917, the Virgin Mary gave a prayer to the shepherd children of Fatima. It’s not widely known, and even some priests have never heard it. I shared this “Sacrificial Prayer” with a friend, Annette, just before she faced two surgeries. The prayer goes:

“O Jesus, it is for love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and for reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”

Mary and Jesus ask us to recite it in moments of physical pain, such as cancer, or mental anguish like depression. It is a strong prayer for the conversion of sinners, especially those who feel lost.

## The “All” Call – Giving Our Whole Lives

Today’s reading comes from Luke 21:4, where a poor widow gives all she has—her entire livelihood—to the treasury. This is the “All” call: Jesus invites us to give not just a portion of our time, talent, and treasure, but our whole selves. He gave His life on Calvary; we are called to surrender everything to Him. The Catechism (CCC 1344‑46) teaches that it is easier to give the first 98 % of our lives than the last 2 %, because the devil tries to keep us from surrendering completely.

We must live out this call through acts of love, obedience, worship, evangelization, sanctification, sacrifice, service, penance, justice, and mercy. When we give to charities that serve children and mothers—like the Ariel Cancer Foundation—we are, in effect, giving to Christ (Matthew 25:40).

## Putting the Lord First

Every day we must ask ourselves: How can I put the Lord first? Is it through prayer, through giving, or through offering my talents? The Lord reminds us, “When you give to the least of these, you are giving to Me.” By focusing on the most needy—children with cancer, families facing illness—we follow Christ’s example of total self‑gift.

I’m grateful for the new friends I made at recent events, for the music of Jason Gray, and for the support of listeners who join me on this journey. Though I stumble, I trust that God will keep moving us forward.

*The true “All” call is to surrender everything to Christ, trusting that He will use our total offering to bring salvation to the world.*