Word to the Wise
Tuesday, January 20, 2015 - Tuesday in the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time
[Heb 6:10-20 and Mark 2:23-28]God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name by having served and continuing to serve the holy ones. We earnestly desire each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of hope until the end, so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who, through faith and patience, are inheriting the promises. [Hebrews]
Even the best of disciples can experience "mission fatigue" or become less avid in their work over time. Keeping up an effort can be exhausting, especially as age begins to take a toll on energy and health. One of the feelings that is common is whether or not God has even taken notice of our efforts. We can become focused on what we haven't been able to do instead of thanking God for what, with God's help, we have been able to do! A friend of mine once said to me, "What people expect of you is recognition and short sermons!'
The Letter to the Hebrews today reassures us of God's care about what we try to do in sharing the faith and serving our fellow human beings. It also warns us about becoming "sluggish" in our efforts. Pope Francis, in his programmatic encyclical, THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL, exhorts us all to be "missionary disciples" and to spread the joy that the gospel should inspire. We can be certain that our ministry is always important even if we meet with indifference or hostility. The love of God is a powerful tonic when we get discouraged. The Letter to the Hebrews today can serve to remind us of this. AMEN
config
view
logs
4096.0 KB
91 ms
4
