GET ON THE RIGHT TRACK
Ordinary people like ourselves become holy (saints in the making) not by
their own efforts but by being open to God's will.
How good are we at
reading signs? Jesus expects His disciples to read the signs of the times
accurately! While modern technology give us greater accuracy for pinpointing
troublesome tempests and quakes, our ability for discerning spiritual trouble
and averting spiritual disaster seems to be in need of desperate repair or at
least improvement. Jesus used a vivid illustration to point out the urgency of
getting on the right path with God. And we cannot do this on our own. Each of
us stands in constant need of God's mercy and love.
Today in the first
reading it is consoling for me to always remember that the great saints like
John of Capistrano, priest and St. Paul, and all those we honored throughout
this month, were human like us. They needed help from God to get life on the
right track especially in their spiritual life. They had struggles, they became
discouraged and confused and ultimately had to depend completely on God's will.
Paul was
discouraged by apparent lack of progress. Above all he became confused. How
could it be, he wondered, when all he wanted to do was good and yet it seemed
that he did the things he didn't want to do, the bad things. I suspect that the
same happens to all of us from time to time. We might ask the question: Why is
it that we seem to make such little progress?
St. Paul cries out,
"Who can free me from this body under the power of death?" His answer
is only implicit at the conclusion of our reading wherein he says, "All
praise to God, through Jesus Christ Our Lord." From later parts of the
epistle it becomes clear that he turns in praise to God because he knows that
only God can help by the power of His Holy Spirit.
The Responsorial
Psalm we acclaim: Lord teach me your statutes. Teach me wisdom and knowledge,
for in your commands I trust. Ordinary people like ourselves become holy
(saints in the making) not by their own efforts but by being open to God's
will.
Points to Pray and Ponder: Embrace the challenges you face, see them as
opportunities rather than obstacles. See if you can leave things a bit better
than you found them. God's call is urgent and His grace is available for
complete transformation in Jesus.