“When You Cannot See Tomorrow, Have Hope!” By Allison Provinsal
Thirty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
This past week was a big week for our Country and our Nation. As I reflect on the readings and the Gospel, I cannot help but feel these were written to be heard this week. In the first reading today we are reminded of the justice that God offers to us. I feel empowered by this reading as I am reminded that while the country may be divided right now, and the President may or may not be who I wanted, God has the final say over all things. In fact looking ahead to next Sunday, we celebrate “Christ the King”. I feel encouraged to keep the faith and remember that I am put on this earth to serve and to love. In the days leading up to the election, Fr. Dave Dwyer, radio host of “The Busted Halo Show” said, “And as we look forward to the days ahead, may we offer the best of ourselves to our leaders and to each other, in order to build a nation that loves and cares for one another.” If we can all remember that, maybe we can find some peace in knowing that with God there is a much brighter reward than anything this world can offer us.
In the second reading we are reminded about the example we set for others. We need to remember that the way we act will be imitated by others around us. If we work hard, love all those around us and treat everyone with dignity and respect that will be imitated and spread. We should not seek to be recognized for our work or for our efforts, rather we should seek to impact others in a subtly and humble way, simply by living a good and holy life, therefore leading by example. Not everyone’s lives on are display for the world to see, as the life of our President will be. We need to be reminded to pray for him and all world leaders to make humble and kind decisions and for all those who are imitating their actions and words.
The Gospel could not be more fitting this week in my opinion. Jesus says in the Gospel that a time will come when everything we have on this earth will be gone. He reminds us not to be afraid when bad things happen, such as wars and tragedy. While some may feel the state of our country is something to be saddened by, we should be encouraged to know that it is all in God’s hands. We are reminded that there will be hard times, heartaches and tragedies before the Lord comes again. Jesus reminds us that when these things happen, it opens the door for us to give testimony to our faith and to God. And he tells us that he will give us the wisdom to know what to say and when to say it. The gospel ends with the line, “By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
I feel that closing line is one to go out and live by. This election has brought much fear and uncertainty to many. It has brought great hope to many others. Whether you’re happy with the election results or not, be reminded to persevere in prayer… to persevere in loving all those around you… to persevere in living a holy, Christian life, one that you would be proud to be imitated by those around you. Jesus set the bar high for how we are to act and how we are to love. If we cannot at the very least respect and love those around us for the human dignity that God gave them, what hope do we have for a better tomorrow?
Especially when our leaders might let us down (and President, Pope, principal, or parent, they’re all human and all make mistakes), we need to respect them and see their dignity. I know this can be a huge challenge for me personally sometimes. Even if we disagree with decisions they make or actions they take, we owe them respect as children of God. So again, my encouragement to all, whether you’re filled with hope or disappointed, grateful or angry, frustrated or confused, is to continue loving everyone and living life for God, and he will take care of the rest!
