Author: Sergio Miranda
Father was cheerfully greeting parishioners as usual when a young couple walked up with their toddler son. The little boy was holding his mother’s hand in one hand and a silver package in the other. Father leaned in with curiosity and realized it was Pop-Tarts.
“What flavor is it?” he asked.
“Strawberry,” they replied.
“Does it have frosting?”
Then Father smiled and said, “My mom gave us Pop-Tarts too. Strawberry was my favorite, but ours didn’t have frosting. She didn’t want us to have too much sugar.” He added, “For the longest time, I didn’t even realize Pop-Tarts came with frosting.”
Wanting to join the conversation, I mentioned that I never knew a breakfast without rice, much less Pop-Tarts.
It struck me that in these three examples, breakfast looked different each time. In one case, the Pop-Tarts had frosting. In another, they did not. In the third, breakfast was rice. Different choices, different families, different circumstances. Yet in each case, the mother was doing what she believed was best for her child. One chose a little more sugar, another chose less, and another chose rice altogether. What remained the same in every situation was a mother’s love.
That love is what mattered most. Love provided what was needed. Love gave the child a good start to the day. And over time, that same love helps shape a good and healthy life.
Taking this a step further, we can look to Easter. Out of love, Jesus Christ suffered, died, and rose again to free us from sin and death. This is love fully applied, and the result is not just a better morning or a better day, but salvation itself. We are transformed by the love of God. It is love that leads to salvation.
That truth also has something to say to us as leaders in the Knights of Columbus. There are times when we must promote charity, act for the Good of the Order, or enforce laws and rules. In every case, these actions must be rooted in love. If they are not done out of love, they should not be done at all. Charity done out of superiority rather than love loses its purity of intention. Acting for the Good of the Order for personal gain damages the mission of the Knights. Enforcing laws without any concern for salvation or reconciliation can create deep bitterness and wounds that are hard to heal.
Whether it is Pop-Tarts, the risen Lord at Easter, or well-applied Catholic leadership, we should learn to see each as an expression of love rightly given. And where love is rightly applied, grace is never far behind.
Love is not always expressed in the same way. It may look like generosity, correction, sacrifice, patience, mercy, or even firmness. A mother shows love by giving what is needed for her child. Christ shows love by giving everything for our salvation. And we, too, are called to show love not merely by good intentions, but by faithful action ordered toward the good of others.
This Easter, as we rejoice in the Resurrection, may we also examine the way we lead, serve, and care for one another. May our charity be genuine. May our decisions be just. May our leadership be guided not by pride, control, or recognition, but by a sincere desire to bring others closer to Christ.
For in the end, the question is not simply whether something was done, but why it was done and for whom. When love is the reason, and the salvation of souls is the aim, then even ordinary moments can reveal something extraordinary. Even a child holding a packet of Pop-Tarts can remind us of the way God cares for His children—with wisdom, with tenderness, and with a love that always seeks our good.