Friday
of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
(Genesis
23:1-4.19.24:1-8.62-67; Matthew 9:9-13)
Matthew
only joined Jesus as a disciple. He had to
learn from him about God and how tell others about God. The task involved more than listening to
Jeus. Matthew had to reflect, pray, and
practice to become a competent evangelist.
Something
similar may be said of the men who signed up for the Continental Army after the
signing of the Declaration of Independence 149 years ago. Their enthusiasm had to be transformed into training
and corps spirit before they could contribute significantly to American freedom. It was a drawn-out process which took years
to complete.
Similarly
becoming saints is no easy task. We should
not give up when our efforts flounder.
Rather we should try again, harder maybe, but always with our minds and
hearts fixed on Jesus. Asking his help
assures our success. He will send the
Holy Spirit to make the necessary adjustments that make our lives holy.
