Word to the Wise
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 - Twenty-fourth Wednesday in Ordinary Time
[1 Timothy 3:14-16 and Luke 7:31-35]To what shall I compare this generation? What are they like? They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another: "We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not weep."
Even Jesus had to say at some point, "There's just no pleasing some folks!" They criticized John the Baptist for being an ascetic who would not touch wine or eat normal food. "He's crazy!" They criticized Jesus for eating and drinking and called him a drunk! The crowds are fickle. I find them similar to the media in regard to the Catholic Church nowadays. It doesn't really matter what the Church does, the media will criticize. But they're not the only ones. Any pastor will sigh and say, "No matter what I do, there's always going to be some who don't like it and get vocal about it." So often it's a matter of how things appear rather than the substance of a situation. In our own day and age when even faith seems to be treated like a consumer item, people expect instant results. Instant results are rarely lasting, so people complain. And if they don't get those instant results they complain. This is a reality of pastoral life (and other ways of life as well), but we can at least be aware of the bind and frustration caused when we get too hard to please. Perhaps that awareness will help us to be more merciful to those who serve us. AMEN
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