Word to the Wise
Monday, August 29, 2016 - Monday in the 22th Week in Ordinary Time
[1 Cor 2:1-5 and Mark 6:17-29]I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God. [1 Corinthians]
MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016 THE PASSION OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
St. Paul himself claimed not to be a good public speaker. In the Acts of the Apostles [20:9] we know that he could go on at length and put people to sleep! (Sound familiar?) Yet, his ministry was the one that endured. Both he and John the Baptist had a lasting impact. In the scripture quoted above, I suspect many a preacher could give thanks that the faith of the people does not depend on what the preacher says but "on the power of God." St. Francis of Assisi is quoted as saying, "Preach always. If necessary, use words."
Well, I understand the weakness and fear and trembling, but I'm not afraid of words of faith, hope and love and encouragement. I think we are all called by our baptismal commitment to do this. Pope Francis speaks of the ministry as "missionaries of mercy." For whatever reason God has, I have been called to be a "friar preacher" in an Order of Preachers. What I hope is that the task doesn't just fall on official preachers like me, but on all of us baptized persons. My role is to be a kind of cheerleader and occasional coach!
Scripture (St. John the Baptist) and tradition (St. Paul) say they were both beheaded. That is a fairly definite way of losing one's voice, but their preaching endures in the gospels and in Paul's letters. We'll probably not lose our heads as the result of our efforts to preach, but as long as we have them, I hope we can use the voices enclosed in them. AMEN
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