Sexagesima Sunday 20 February 2022 Perseverance
St Paul was ready to pay any price for the sake of proclaiming the Gospel. He did not mind if he had ‘full stomach or empty’ if he was in comfortable or uncomfortable circumstances. He could see, more clearly than average, that his ultimate happiness was to be found in Christ, and this far outweighed any passing happiness this life could bring.
In the light of today’s Gospel, he was one of the seeds that persevered to the end, and would not allow itself to be seduced by transient pleasures, or intimidated by threats.
So he persevered, and in addition to all the things he suffered (listed in today’s epistle), he died a glorious martyr’s death, so completing an extraordinary life.
In season or not (2 Tm 4,2) he would preach the word. (And it is usually out of season as far as the Gospel goes, because most people it seems will resist repentance and conversion.)
But many have converted and this makes us realize it is possible and worth anything to continue and increase that result.
Most Christians, not so strong as Paul, have to work on their own response, and also work on how to help others come to the faith.
For ourselves we take advantage of the witness of those who have been here before us. We have the benefit of their example. If they could do it so can we.
People tend to reject what they have not seen or experienced. They are like St Thomas the Apostle; they want proof before they start. It cannot always be arranged that way.
Sometimes we have to dive in first and then see what happens.
Why does God let us suffer so much? He is purifying us and that is painful as we readjust our old ways.
Also, because it is difficult to convert people, sufferings will be encountered. The very good (like St Paul) suffer more than average because God will entrust them with more. It is not because God is somehow being cruel with them.
Christians face a constant temptation to be only partially committed, mainly to avoid this kind of suffering. We don’t want to put our necks out.
Nor do we want to give up things we enjoy or have become accustomed to.
Whatever we give up we receive a lot more back. There is a joy in conversion. (See, for example, Zacchaeus in Luke 19,1-10). That is how it is supposed to work.
We convert on our own behalf, and renew that commitment as often as we can.
At the same time, we want others to discover what we have experienced.
St Paul held firm in his own commitment and also in fidelity to the Gospel. We must not change the message that we have received.
We do not try to refashion the Gospel to suit the audience. At present many Christians have abandoned the need to bring others to conversion. They say acceptance of each other’s difference is all that is needed.
St Paul would not have liked that! We can accept each other all right, but only through complete union with Christ, with all our beliefs and behaviour based on Him.
To ease the demands of our faith is a constant temptation. A false tolerance of error, or a false compromise with the world - it is done to make the task of discipleship easier but it does not work.
God does not ask the impossible; He sometimes asks the very difficult, but if He expects anything from us He will provide the necessary grace.
Strap yourself in, it is going to be a turbulent flight. Even so it will be more turbulent for those outside the protection Christ can give.
With St Paul we will persevere to the finish.
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