Recognition, Ambition, and Pride vs. Trust, Faith, and Humility

If there was one single thing you could point to about Jesus’ personality or that which he thought was the greatest trait we could have, it would be humility.  I heard Scott Hahn in a talk once say, “God hates the proud, even when they are right.”

Today’s Gospel was all about taking seats of honor in order to be recognized as being someone important.  The question to ask is, “why would we do that?”  I understand that it is a nice thing to be recognized once in a while just to know you are appreciated and doing a good job in life.  All of us need that, the occasional pat on the back, but what Jesus is talking about is something more than the occasional pat on the back, this is about one’s pride and selfishness.

It is easy to get caught up in life with recognition it usually stems from ambition, an ambition to be something more, not out of a sense of service but to show others how far you have come and even worse to parade it and flaunt it.  We all have to admit that at least in some way we have fallen into this sin from time to time, be it at school when we wanted recognition when in reality we did not deserve it or even if we did, did we humble ourselves when someone else received the recognition.  This may have also happened to us at work when someone else got promoted and we did not.  The examples could go on and on.

Being humble is not an easy thing, actually it is quite difficult.  How do I feel when someone is put in the limelight or put up on a pedestal?  Do I rejoice that the Lord gave such to that person or do I become jealous and envious?  The Lord asks me to take the last seat and the one all the way in the back.  What will I do?  Will I go up front so that everyone can see me up there and recognize me?  If so, the Lord will move me to the back, He has a way of making that happen.  Rather I should go to the back and let the Lord move me up front if He wills such.  That takes trust, faith and great humility.  I pray that all of us will have those virtues, God bless you, Fr. John

The Discipline of the Lord

In today’s letter to the Hebrews we read, “My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges.”  Endure your trials as “discipline”; God treats you as sons.   For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline?”  Today we have lost this sense of discipline.  We do whatever we can to run from suffering or pain, it does not matter what that pain is, we try to avoid it.  I would not recommend running towards suffering or wishing it, the suffering I am talking about here is the suffering of discipline.

When I was a young child and teenager it was the teacher, coach, mentor, priest, who was right 99% of the time when it came to me and my friends being disciplined, corrected and even punished by them, not to mention the second punishment we received upon returning home.  It was a very rare occasion indeed when a parent would take the side of the child, basically 1% of the time.  Today, however the pendulum has swung to almost the child or teenager being right 99% of the time and the teacher, coach, mentor, priest, etc. being right only 1% of the time.  Forgive me I exaggerate, but you get the point.

It is as almost that we do not want anyone to feel any pain whatsoever.  We do not want a child to be cut from his or her team during tryouts, or for the child to accept and learn from a failing grade, or for the child to be held accountable among adults.  Isn’t good to allow a child to feel a little humility, some guilt, some wrestling with oneself and others in order to become a more virtuous person from learning from their mistakes.  Anytime a parent complains to a coach about their child’s playing time, or complain to a teacher about a grade or to the priest that their child must receive Confirmation this year even though they have not had Religious Education for three years, only because their friends are receiving this year does an injustice not only to the child but all involved.

God says that He disciplines us and He surely does.  Every time we sin He holds us accountable.  He lets us feel the guilt and even the shame in order for lessons to be learned.  He is also merciful and when we show sorrow and contrition no one is quicker than God to heal and forgive.  But He does not hand out forgiveness and mercy without teaching us first.

If we know that God deals with us that way are we not supposed to deal with each other that way as well, especially with our young people?  Let our children grow up by learning through discipline so that their character will develop and they will go on to be good and accountable people of society.  God treats us that way, that we will be holy and to become holy means nothing less than learning and going through the lessons of life, whether we deserve them or not.  Christ did not deserve the Cross, yet He carried it anyway, we deserve our crosses let us be molded and shaped by them so that we are truly sons and daughters of God, “For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline?”

Play Like a Champion Today

In today’s second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews we heard, “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.” 

These are very motivating words, they are also words of great encouragement.  The words are motivating because they challenge us to persevere in running the race.  Our faith is like a race, for some it’s a short distance race, for others a long one, and still for others somewhere in between.  A race, nevertheless it is.  What does a race feel like, well, it can be tiresome and physically draining regardless of what shape a person is in.  Effort is needed for a race and to run it well one needs maximum effort.  So too with our faith, are we running it well, are we giving maximum effort.

When I began as a coach I realized that to be successful we would have to give maximum effort all the time even in practice.  This could become draining and eventually take its toll so the race if you will would have to have purpose and meaning.  And what race could have more purpose and meaning than that of the Christian life?

Jesus is the one we are running to.  We run to Him in all things, regardless if they be sad moments or happy ones.  Our eyes should be fixed on the prize just like (and with even more) determination than a professional athlete has in winning a championship.

The other motivation is that we are not alone on our journeys.  We obviously have Jesus with us every step of the way, but as the Letter to Hebrews says, (we) “are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.”  The communion of saints cheers us on.  All of those who have gone before us, from heaven, “send a volley cheer on high.”(Notre Dame Victory March)  Isn’t good to know our loved ones who have gone before us pray for us and that they root for us in all things good.

St. Paul and all the Saints understood that faith was “fighting the good fight,” that fight is synonymous with running a race, there are times when we tire and fall down, there are other times we stop running because it becomes too difficult, there are other times when we run it very well, but that most important thing is that we finish and like St. Paul we to will be able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim 4:7)

Are You Ready?

“You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”  We will meet Jesus face to face in two ways, either through our own death or if Jesus returns right now, are your ready for either one?  My reflection will be not so much with the end of the world, the return of Christ, or the apocalypse, but rather how does one prepare.

Being a former basketball coach, many of you I am sure have either played a sport, may be even coached a sport, and even if you did not you still understand that the athlete must prepare well in order to be successful.  So what does a coach do?  A coach first makes sure that the players buy into the system, i.e. the philosophy, which is accomplished in the first few practices.  Next, the coaches must make sure that the players reach top physical performance and maintain that throughout the season, that is done by drills, drills, drills.  After that the coaches will put in place offensive and defensive schemes, plays, go over all kinds of scenarios and throughout the season will game prepare for each opponent.

It seems like a lot, but to be well prepared it has to be done.  At this point, game time, the coaches hope that all the pieces are working, that every player has done their part and worked hard, if not the team will suffer loss and even embarrassment.  We prepare not only for sports, but the actor prepares diligently and will practice, practice, practice, until they think they are the character they are playing so that when it’s time to act in front of the camera the finished product is magnificent.  The musician will do much of the same, as well as the manager of a company, the worker in the work force.  One must prepare to do anything well, be it sports, acting, music, work and even school my young friends, “A” grades are not given out for free.

So too goes for our Christian lives.  We must prepare well.  But again, how?  We prepare well by living the virtues, the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, by attending mass and the reception of the sacraments, by living out the beatitudes and most of all the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love.

We can practice these virtues and ways of life throughout the entire day.  It begins as soon as we wake up and right before we go to bed.  St. Paul said, “Pray always.”  He meant that we are to always have a disposition towards Christ no matter what you are doing that way if it is time to leave this world even unexpectedly or if Jesus returned right here and right now then we would not caught off guard, but like a good sentinel Jesus would find us keeping watch at our post.  God bless you, Fr. John