Word to the Wise
Monday, June 3, 2024 - Monday in the 9th Week in Ordinary Time
[2 Pet 1:2-7 and Mark 12:1-12]His divine power has bestowed on us everything that makes for life and devotion, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and power.....For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self control with endurance, endurance with devotion, devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love. [2 Peter]
JUNE 3 ST. CHARLES LWANGA AND COMPANIONS, martyrs
A parishioner of mine once prayed consistently for one intention - an end to ignorance. The Second Letter of Peter exhorts us to "knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and power." But the letter also exhorts to go beyond faith and knowledge to aim for virtue, self-control, endurance, devotion, mutual affection and love. This is quite a list! But these aspects of Christian life are not separate "cubby holes" to be attained separately. They aim at the whole person - at integrity of life. We may, from time to time, have to "work on" one or the other of them a bit more intentionally, but the idea is to get them working together. As the passage above begins, "His divine power has bestowed on us everything that makes for life and devotion, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and power." In short, we have everything that God can give us to attain those goals.
Difficulties will abound. The urge to say, "What's the use, I'll never be able to.........." will be a constant temptation. But often we fail to notice the resources we have in friends, wise counselors and confessors, and especially in our faith. It's a life-long challenge, but the goal of life with God eternally is worth the striving. AMEN