by Br. Gregory-David Jones,
O.S.B.
It is easy to come up with an image of St.
Paul, the tireless preacher, going from one
region to another with a single-minded aim
of bringing the message of
the Good News to all people. His
enthusiasm, courage and devotion can seem
like an example too lofty for us to
follow. For many of
us life has become too tiresome and mundane
to even think about being an enthusiastic
preacher like Paul. Sometimes a
“snap-shot” image of a saint can give us an
unrealistic understanding of what it means
to be a “hero” in the faith. Today, we
get a view of Jesus’ ministry that shows us
the key to attaining and maintaining the
enthusiasm of the saints.
One day after Jesus cured Peter’s mother-in-law, ministered and cured the sick and freed those possessed by demons he set out to go to other villages to carry his ministry. To recall, the event of the healings and exorcisms was not a simple, low-key affair. The entire population of the town was watching the event. Considering the enormity of the clamor, the “many” sick and possessed people were likely more than a half-dozen. Possibly it could have been 20 or more people in need of the Lord’s help. Such a heavy task taxed Jesus body and spirit, so before going to the next village, he took time in a deserted place to pray. This prayer time allowed Jesus to replenish his spiritual and physical strength, but it also was a time to affirm in his own mind the core purpose he was sent to accomplish.
Someone once said that the enthusiasm that drives performance is proportional to the conviction that motivates it. Everyone has a vocation from God – the purpose for which we are here on earth. Not everyone is called to be a missionary like Paul, but all of us have a calling that we can fulfill with the same enthusiasm. Jesus gives us the example that shows us that we have to at times rekindle the fire within us through quiet prayer. It is in the abode of prayer that we renew our strength and reacquaint ourselves with the reality that our vocation (and all that is involved in it, the good, the bad, the ugly and the boring) is our way of expressing love for our Creator. Is there a task that we should be more enthusiastic about?
It is easy to come up with an image of St.
Paul, the tireless preacher, going from one
region to another with a single-minded aim
of bringing the message of
the Good News to all people. His
enthusiasm, courage and devotion can seem
like an example too lofty for us to
follow. For many of
us life has become too tiresome and mundane
to even think about being an enthusiastic
preacher like Paul. Sometimes a
“snap-shot” image of a saint can give us an
unrealistic understanding of what it means
to be a “hero” in the faith. Today, we
get a view of Jesus’ ministry that shows us
the key to attaining and maintaining the
enthusiasm of the saints.One day after Jesus cured Peter’s mother-in-law, ministered and cured the sick and freed those possessed by demons he set out to go to other villages to carry his ministry. To recall, the event of the healings and exorcisms was not a simple, low-key affair. The entire population of the town was watching the event. Considering the enormity of the clamor, the “many” sick and possessed people were likely more than a half-dozen. Possibly it could have been 20 or more people in need of the Lord’s help. Such a heavy task taxed Jesus body and spirit, so before going to the next village, he took time in a deserted place to pray. This prayer time allowed Jesus to replenish his spiritual and physical strength, but it also was a time to affirm in his own mind the core purpose he was sent to accomplish.
Someone once said that the enthusiasm that drives performance is proportional to the conviction that motivates it. Everyone has a vocation from God – the purpose for which we are here on earth. Not everyone is called to be a missionary like Paul, but all of us have a calling that we can fulfill with the same enthusiasm. Jesus gives us the example that shows us that we have to at times rekindle the fire within us through quiet prayer. It is in the abode of prayer that we renew our strength and reacquaint ourselves with the reality that our vocation (and all that is involved in it, the good, the bad, the ugly and the boring) is our way of expressing love for our Creator. Is there a task that we should be more enthusiastic about?