Come Away By Yourselves

Jesus often calls us to vigilance.  We know neither the time nor the hour of his second coming and the time of our own death is certain but unknown to us.  The best preparation for our judgment is found in discerning and doing the will of God. 

Our Faith should give us great confidence in God.  Waiting around for a feeling of confidence, however, rarely ever works.  Rather we should treat our Faith more like the robust Truth that it is.  Faith is just true, whether we feel like it is or not.  This feeling dependent view of faith ends up filling us with the courage and confidence that we need and want. 

On the Feast of All Saints we reflect on what makes saints holy.  God's gift of divine filiation is at the core of sanctity.  As children of God, the saints experience a freedom that was and is Christ's own liberty.  We pray for a greater desire to be like them on earth so we can be with them in heaven.  

The question of our personal identity is crucial to life.  Our identity is tied to our closest relationships and our life’s mission.  The deepest truth of who we are, however, is something we find in God and receive from Him, not something we have to figure out entirely on our own. By living the life God wants for us, we become our true selves and discover our true names. 

Moses struggles on a hilltop to keep his hands up in prayer while a battle rages down on the field.  The fight's outcome depends on Moses' effort in prayer.  Our prayers also make a real difference in the lives of others and of the world.  Inspired by Scripture, which is living and active, our time in prayer gives new life to our ordinary tasks and interactions.  

Jesus heals ten lepers but only one comes back to thank him.  An image of sin, their leprosy is cured when they are on the way to see "the priests."  Jesus appreciates the gratitude of the Samaritan who returned after being cured and finds fault with the other nine.  Constant gratitude is a way of loving our Lord and of assuring our own increase in saving faith. 

Jesus' parable of the talents is an image of Christian life.  God has invested a lot in each one of us.  Like the servants who eagerly trade with their talents to make them fruitful, we want to accept all the opportunities and challenges that our Lord has entrusted to us.  Too often it is easy to resent life, focusing only on the difficulties, and end up like the third servant who buries his talent out of laziness and fear. 

St. Paul expresses God's intent that "all men be saved."  In his providence, God counts on his apostolic Church to fulfill this divine desire.  He is always looking for "laborers" for the vineyard.  The parable of the unjust steward reminds us to be grateful guardians of God's gifts and to be shrewd in pursuing our noble ends. 

The readings for this Sunday's Mass relate the fruits of humility.  Growth in humility is worth the effort.  St. Theresa of Avila offers sound advice on how to advance in this essential Christian virtue. 

Jesus walks on water in the midst of a storm.   Peter joins him in a great act of daring and trust.  This Gospel scene contains lessons of prayer, trust, and union with Christ on the cross. 

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By leaving the saving news of the Gospel and the saving power of the sacraments to the Church, Jesus put great things into our hands.  The apostolic mission of Christians is an extension of Christ's own love for souls.  Apostolate, evangelization, becomes natural when we remember, or realize in a deeper way, just how much Christ means to us. 

To follow Jesus is to take up our cross each day.  Pain, sadness, fear and suffering were all a part of Christ's life and essential to his redemptive love for us.  To follow Jesus in love is therefore also to share in his suffering.  Our faith helps us to find meaning and solace in our most difficult trials. 

Jesus gives us very clear advice on how to deal with worries and anxieties.  His advice is to replace worry with trust.  This replacement therapy is something we can practice first of all in our mental prayer. 

The Psalms and other Bible passages are full of encouraging claims about who and what God is for us.  The Lord is our rock, our stronghold, our inheritance  ...  Faith makes these claims come to life.  To be all that he wants to be for us, we must try to let God be our one and true God, whom we love with all of our soul, all of our heart and all of our mind.