Monday of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time
2 Peter 1:2-7 | Psalm 90:1-2,14-16 | Mark 12:1-12
But to attain this, you will have to do your utmost yourselves, adding goodness to the faith that you have, understanding to your goodness, self-control to your understanding, patience to your self-control, true devotion to your patience, kindness towards your fellow men to your devotion, and, to this kindness, love. (2 Peter 1:5-7)
Wow, that’s a long “recipe”. Let’s break it down, with some parallel terms from the NABRE translation for clarity:
- Faith. We believe in God; this is where it all begins, and because of our belief, we’re encouraged to develop…
- Goodness (virtue). Listening to our conscience, and turning away from evil. This requires…
- Understanding (knowledge). Catechism is just the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much to learn about the history of Mother Church, the highs and lows, the saints and schisms. But knowledge is nothing without…
- Self-control. Knowing right from wrong matters little if we willingly walk down the wrong path, and because we’re human, we’ll wander into darkness ever so often. To combat this tendency, we need…
- Patience (endurance). No matter how many times we fall, we need to develop a willingness to forgive ourselves, to seek forgiveness from God, and to consciously turn to the light. We gather the strength to accomplish this through…
- True devotion. Jesus showed us the way: absolute devotion to the Father’s will, all the way to His own painful death and glorious resurrection. We too are called to worship God, not just in our hearts and minds, but also through…
- Kindness towards our fellow men (mutual affection). Jesus Himself commands us to extend a helping hand to all in need, regardless of race, language or, yes, religion, in a spirit of mercy, and always in the name of…
- Love. This is where it all culminates: agape, the love that God has for all humanity, the love that is God, and that we reciprocate with love for each other. This is the love that will eventually unite us all in one endless song of praise and glory.
A tall order? Somewhat, but Everest wasn’t ascended in a day. With the passing of each minute of our lives, we simply need to take one faithful step after another along the road that St. Peter has mapped out for us. When we stumble, we just need to gather our spiritual strength, rise to our feet and continue, as Jesus did when he carried the cross of all mankind’s sins upon his shoulders.
Lord, in sharing your Precious Body and Blood, You lit a small flame in each of us. Help us keep that pitiful flame alive, and more, nurture it into a beacon of hope and love for all those around us, so that they may come to believe in You and in our heavenly Father. Amen.