Septuagesima Sunday 17.2.19 Perseverance
With the season of Septuagesima we come to the edges of Lent.
Sunday remains always a day of joy, but we prepare for a more sombre reflection
of Our Lord’s saving passion and death.
We see the contrast of the sad with the glad, the difficulties
with the triumphs.
We seem always to be negotiating troubles, but it can be
done.
St Paul, in today’s epistle, portrays himself as running
like an athlete, meaning to win. He will make whatever sacrifice is required to
achieve the desired goal.
He brings his body into subjection. A disciple must be
disciplined. The runner does not forget he is running the race; nor can we
forget what path we are on. We must run all the way to the end.
The Gospel presents a different image – that of working all
day in the heat. We work hard, and only at the end do we receive a reward.
Discipline enables us to put business before pleasure; again
to persevere to the end.
What is the urgency? Salvation, eternal life is at stake.
What about the others? Why should we work all day if they are going to sneak in
at the end?
If there was a disaster, such as an earthquake, we would
help if we could. Common humanity would bring out the best in us.
How much more should we want to help when eternal life is at
stake.
There are times we feel like giving up. We are subject to distractions,
discouragements, temptations. We have to hold on through it all.
We are called to serve God all the time. Most of the time
not much is required – just steady attention to duty. But we are on call, ready
for anything. We stay in fighting trim.
It is much easier if we keep the overall picture in view.
That way our sufferings do not seem to fill the whole horizon. We can see the
joy beyond, at any point.
Holiness is much harder when we are surrounded by other
people who are not interested at all.
The whole environment becomes difficult, and there is a lack
of inspiration.
Often we run on our own, without support, and often directly
against the wind - the prevailing opinion.
We are subject to a lot of ridicule, even persecution..
This makes it all harder, but when we understand what is at stake
we have a new energy to keep at the task.
Are we going to let the devil get away with this deception,
ruining millions of lives?
At the same time we can make it easier to ‘run’ day-by-day,
and make it more likely that we will finish the race, by applying the basic
principles we know, till these become second nature to us.
We avoid sins; we do penance; we pray; we study our faith; we
do good deeds; we cheerfully accept difficulties, knowing they are no more than
flies at a picnic, momentary distractions.
Why does it have to be so hard? It is because of sin, which
confuses people, and hardens their hearts.
Every task becomes a major operation. People do this when it
comes to God, or any matter of religion.
This is another difficulty factor. We can take them all in
our path. The more others resist, the more we exert ourselves in the spiritual
struggle.
We can enjoy work, and we can enjoy running. The Christian
life, while demanding, has at root a joyous aspect. We come to enjoy working
with the mind of God, and seeing His providence at work in our midst.
We enjoy the struggle, and even more the final peace.
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