Perseverance

33^rd Sunday of Ordinary Time year C 2019:

As we get close to the end of the liturgical year, we always here these apocalyptic messages in the scriptures.  Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple.  He talks about signs, deceivers, wars, insurrections, nations rising against nation, earthquakes, famines, plagues, awesome and mighty signs, persecution, even being handed over by your family members.  In the midst of all these horrible things, what are we supposed to do?  Do not be deceived, do not be terrified, persevere.  Easier said than done right?  But, so important.  Perseverance is one of the most important virtues to develop as a Christian.  Why?  We will be challenged, we will be persecuted, we will be tempted.  It might seem easy to follow Jesus when things are going well, but what do we do in times of adversity?

As I was reflecting on the list of calamities that Jesus describes in the gospel, I got to thinking: my problems are all way smaller than that.  War, famine, plagues?  Not exactly, too many emails to answer, too many cases to judge in the tribunal, weather turning cold.  And yet, I find persevering in these much smaller things to be difficult enough already.  How would I handle earthquakes and war?  Probably not too well.

But, it’s precisely through the little things in life that prepare us for the big things.  Those smaller moments are what help us to build up perseverance.  If we are hoping to remain faithful in the big moments of life, it starts by being faithful in all the small moments.

I think St. Paul is a great example for us here.  St. Paul had some amazing moments in his life.  Christ spoke to him and called him to be his disciple.  He preached the gospel.  He was persecuted, arrested, he even gave his life as a martyr.  This is why we know about him as a great saint.  He was tremendously valiant in the big moments of life.  Yet, what does he say to the Thessalonians?  When I was with you, I worked night and day in toil and drudgery so that I might not be a burden to you.  His final advice: keep busy and work quietly in the Lord.

St. Paul teaches us amazing courage in the hugely momentous events of his life.  But, he also shows that the way for him to prepare for those huge moments was to work quietly and contentedly for the Lord.  It was the daily toil of working for the Lord that prepared him for the big moments of life.  

This is so true for us too.  If we are going to persevere in the grand moments, we need to work on being faithful in the small moments.  If we want to make an offer of our life to God, then we need to give him the random Tuesdays of life too.  Do not be terrified, do not be deceived, persevere.  Not just in the big moments, but the small moments of life too.

If you are ever struggling with the daily toils of life, I would recommend praying the 4^th sorrowful mystery of the rosary.  The rosary is my favorite personal devotion, and I like the 4^th mystery the best: Jesus carries his cross.  The other sorrowful mysteries talk about momentous events in the Lord’s passion: agony, scourging, crowning, crucifixion.  These are big moments.  Carrying of the cross is the quiet mystery.  It’s the journey between the big moments.  

So, we can look to Christ who carried his cross.  He patiently went one step at a time.  St. Paul patiently worked between his big moments.  The same is a great lesson for us.  We can grow in our perseverance and be ready for the big moments in life if we work quietly in the Lord and carry our crosses daily.