Saturday of Week 28 in Ordinary Time (Year II)
Saint Teresa of Ávila, Virgin, Doctor
Ephesians 1:15-23 | Psalm 8:2-7 | Luke 12:8-12
‘I tell you, if anyone openly declares himself for me in the presence of men, the Son of Man will declare himself for him in the presence of the angels. But the man who disowns me in the presence of men will be disowned in the presence of God’s angels.’ (Luke 12:8-9)
I quite like traveling, particularly when visiting places of pilgrimage and quiet reflection. To a pessimist, this means that I’m getting ever closer to the day when I may be waylaid or killed in a foreign land, perhaps victim of a roadside bomb in the Holy Land, or held hostage at an airport in transit, or an unintended statistic of a city street mugging.
Today’s Gospel put a disturbing thought in my head: If I were kidnapped by terrorists baying for non-Muslim blood, would I be brave enough to identify myself as being “for Christ”? Would I have the courage of, say, Kayla Mueller, who endured 18 months of ISIS-led deprivation and assault without losing hope and faith?
I’d like to think so, but I really don’t know. After all, odds are good I’ll be traveling with my wife; would I dare risk her by association?
But if I kept quiet about my faith, and survived the encounter, how would I live with myself afterwards? Would I then drift away from God out of private guilt? St. Peter denied Jesus three times, yet remained the keystone of the Church; do I even have a tenth of his fortitude?
✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞
After much reflection, I realized three things:
- No “battle plan” survives enemy contact. I could plan my actions all I want, but from long experience, no matter how many scenarios I simulate in my head, real life almost never happens like I imagined.
- But it’s still good to plan ahead. In particular, I need to practice “continuity planning” with my business partners and the folks I deal with regularly, with prepared backups, alternatives and “in the event of” instructions. That way, if I don’t survive my next trip, they’ll be able to continue doing what they need to with minimal disruption. Not having to worry about the folks back home would help me focus on my present difficulties.
- And with faith, there is hope. I may or may not have the courage to declare for Christ with a gun barrel in my face, but in the darkness of captivity, I must find the spark in my heart to continue seeking God in prayer, and encourage others around me to do the same, just as Fr. St. Maximilian Kolbe did in the dank dungeons of Auschwitz. Without such sure hope that He’s still with us in our misery, I would have no anchor left, and would be free to do…un-Christian things.
Lord, You have watched over us in good times and bad. If we are to be tested in faith, lend us the courage of conviction that You are our all, our everything, the One with whom we will be reunited in the hereafter. Help us share that conviction with each other, especially in the face of fear and suffering. Alone, we can do nothing good, but You promised that You would be with us in our unity. To You be the kingdom, the power and the glory, now and forever. Amen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW6Jrntk9Wg