In this video, we see an unbelievable witness to the power of self giving love. Through the sacrifice of this couple not only to one another but to the children outside of what would commonly be considered their, “circle”… they have enriched the beauty of their community and even saved the lives of several individuals (their children).

This expression of inclusiveness reminds me of the call that Jesus extends to humanity at large when he commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves. The most profound implication of this lies within the fact that the term neighbor is to refer to all peoples. To overlook this call to love is to overlook the very nature of Christianity, which is to live for the other.

We are commanded to make ourselves a gift worth giving, and then… to give that gift, not just to the people whom we deem to be worthy of ourselves, but to each and every individual we are blessed to encounter. This understanding of our world breaks the limitations of social rank, politics, and even geographical gulfs that may separate us from our fellow human beings as we are called to love in practical and supernatural ways.

I Like Adoption

We are given with the encounter of this family, the beautiful fruition of this commandment. A commandment which they have chosen to live out not just in the months or years it took for them to establish legal custody of the children, but in the day to day sacrifices made for the well being, and spiritual strength of their family, which they created together.

Their love for one another and for the community of their household must have been, and I can hope still is, continuously poured forth from their hearts in a steadfast, “yes”, to serving each other. This I am most sure of simply because, the deep sense of belonging that each child seems to exude as they describe their experience as a member of the Dennehy family, is of a kind of peace and simplicity that can only find its origin in the perfect love of Christ, which is rooted in sacrifice.

On behalf of families at large I extend sincere gratitude to the Dennehy’s for their beautiful and unabashed example of a holy community. We would do well to keep them in prayer as they continue to answer their call to service, through the bold path which God has deemed their own. We must remember them, especially, when we are inevitably confronted with the challenges to love our own communities, wherever they may be found.

Please take the time to visit their website at I Like Giving.

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Without Sacrifice There Is No Love | St. Maximilian Kolbe The Family Is Founded In Love Apostolic Exhortation “Amoris Laetitia” | The Joy of Love What Would You Tell A Baby On Their First Day Here? Watch This Beautiful Act of Love As A Nurse Sings To His Patients How Do We Communicate The Joy Of Family Life To The World?   God’s Gift: How A Mother’s Love Conquers Alzheimer’s A Beautiful Lesson on Unconditional Love from a Couple that Lives It The Surprising Benefits of Using NFP