Parishioners of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Savage heard that the sacrifices we make may not be recognized by others, but they serve a purpose.

“The famous story of St. Martin giving half his cloak to a poor beggar, then later having a vision of Christ who received that cloak, is one of the great saint stories of our whole tradition," the Rev. Ben Little said, the church bulletin reported. 

He said St. Martin of Tours was baptized after this vision and became the saint God wanted him to be, something God wants for all of us.

We may not have the sacrifices we make in this life be recognized or remembered by others. Rather, we might give in secret, but there is still usefulness in these actions, Little said. Let us remember that we are called, as followers of Christ, to not look for praise or attention for our good deeds. 

Look for the inspiration to care for those around you by remembering this thought:

“The key is to always do them knowing that any act of charity to anyone in need is to make that act to Jesus himself, whose face is to be seen in anyone in need,” Little said in the bulletin. 

He shared an excellent example of sacrifice in our world is how many individuals have given the ultimate sacrifice. 

“They have responded to these challenges with amazing generosity, and we owe it to them to life them up in our prayers and offer them support," Little said in the bulletin. "We need the give of prudence to find concrete solutions to relieve them of some of these heavy burdens to the extent we can.

We need to acknowledge their sacrifices. Even with awareness that God sees and rewards all, this acknowledgement helps give them support and affirmation from other human beings, Little said.

He asked that we remember the sacrifices of other servant figures, such as our teachers and religious leaders.