Word to the Wise
Friday, October 30, 2020 - Friday in the 30th Week in Ordinary Time
[Phil 1:1-11 and Luke 14:1-6]I give thanks to my God at every remembrance of you, praying always with joy in my every prayer for all of you, because of your partnership for the Gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right that I should think this way about all of you, because I hold you in my heart, you who are all partners with me in grace.......[Philippians]
The Letter to the Philippians was written during one of St. Paul's imprisonments and contains much that is worthy of our reflection. It will provide the first scripture for Mass over the next few weekdays. When I celebrated the 25th anniversary of my ordination to priesthood back in 1996, I chose the words from today's passage as a kind of theme. Paul is writing in gratitude to the many Christians in Philippi, a community he established, to thank them for their support and encouragement. I was not and am not in prison out here in Lubbock, TX, but I am more than grateful for all the support and encouragement I receive from those who read these daily reflections as well as the many friends that have entered my life, especially from my years in campus ministry. Without you and them my life and ministry would not be possible.
Some years ago, when I was serving on the provincial council of our Dominican province, the Master of the Order (our head honcho), Timothy Radcliffe, OP, came on his official "visitation." He spoke to our council at the beginning of his visit and told the story of a former Master of the Order, Bl. Hyacinth Cormier, OP. Cormier once said that the purpose of a visitation was "to encourage, to encourage, to encourage!" The challenges I have faced in religious life and ministry certainly have not resulted in imprisonment as St. Paul experienced, but I have been the beneficiary of much encouragement from others. My campus ministry efforts here are informal since I am more or less "retired," but I consider it a "ministry of encouragement" for the students that I encounter and have come to know. And I try to let them know how much they truly encourage me! The same is true for my daily preaching: THE WORD TO THE WISE. No life is completely free of criticism, failures, frustration, illness and other challenges. To meet these challenges I think we all need the encouragement and support of friends. I am truly grateful for what I receive in this way and, in turn, I try to pass it along. This makes every one of you my "partners for the Gospel." Many, many thanks! AMEN