Today’s Thoughts: Today we hear the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 5:1-12). The Sermon opens with the Beatitudes. As I have gotten older and reflected often on the Beatitudes, I have come to believe they are the Commandments of the New Testament. They are how we are to view life but more importantly live life.
There is a story I sometimes use in my preaching. It is about a man who encounters God in the middle of the night and God tells them man he has a job for him. He is to wake up each day and with all his strength push against a rock in his front yard. So, every day he gets up and from sunrise to sunset he puts all his strength against the rock and pushes. Every night he comes home tired, worn out and discouraged because all his pushing has not moved the rock. This goes on for many years and because of his discouragement the devil sees an opportunity. He plants negative thoughts in the man’s mind – “Why kill yourself over this? You are never going to move it.” Thus, giving the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These troubling thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. “Why kill myself over this?” Maybe I should just put in my time, giving just the minimum effort and that will be good enough. But before he makes a choice he offers a prayer to God - “Lord, I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even been able to budge that rock. What is wrong? Why am I failing?” God responds to the man’s prayer with compassion saying - My friend, When I asked you to serve me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But is that really so?” “Look at yourself. Your arms are strong, your back is powerful, your hands are callused, and your legs have become solid and durable. Through opposition you have grown much and your abilities now surpass those which you used to have. Yet you haven’t moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in my wisdom. This you have done. I, my friend, will now move the rock.” To me the world, culture, society is the rock, and the Beatitudes are our task, our job in this life. We are to awake up each day and go about our life letting go and letting God. This is not easy because it goes against everything the world stands for. The Beatitudes are the opposite of the way culture, society, the world sees life. We are to care, respect, and work for God’s ways and most of the time it seems immovable. But remember God only asks us to push. When our life ends God will move the rock and welcome us into his Kingdom! Have a blessed and holy Sunday everyone!
1 Comment
Kathy Chiavetta
1/29/2023 08:50:08 am
Thank you your story makes sense and I wish it had been our sermon at mass here! You always relate to our daily lives.
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Fr. Paul R. Fagan, C.P. "Preacher on the Run"Just a few thoughts to help you on your journey through life...let me know from time to time what you think... Archives
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