Word to the Wise
Tuesday, August 14, 2007 - St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe (OFM.Conv.) priest and martyr
[Deuteronomy 31:1-8 and Matthew 1-5, 10, 12-14]I am now one hundred and twenty years old and am no longer able to move about freely; besides, the Lord has told me that I shall not cross this Jordan......
Moses' farewell address is poignant. Like all humans, even remarkable ones like him, he leaves certain goals unmet and can only wistfully hope they will be met by those who carry on after him, notably Joshua. Still, it is his role at this moment to encourage: Be brave and steadfast; have no fear of dread of them, for it is the Lord, your God, who marches with you: he will never fail you or forsake you! He tells Joshua personally the same thing. There does come a point in life when we realize that we are not going to accomplish all that we hoped to do. But that should not blind us to the value of what we have accomplished. It may be that we were a bit too optimistic about what we could do and actually wound up doing ALL that we COULD do! That's a great thing to know. It is especially a time when we can see how God has helped us to achieve so much. I see this process at work everyday in the elderly Dominican sisters with whom I minister. They receive visits from former students who come back to express appreciation. I experience it myself in the relationships I have with former student parishioners. I am comforted, too, by the words in the Letter to the Hebrews (6:10): God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name by having served and continuing to serve the holy ones. It is important to encourage our "Joshua's" to carry on and that we continue to be a good example to them as long as we live. AMEN
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