Dear Friends,
It is easy to identify with the prophet Habakkuk in our first reading this weekend. He is crying out to the Lord saying, “Why do you let me see ruin;
why must I look at misery? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and clamorous discord.” As we look around, there is so very much violence, strife, and discord in our world. And we do pray to the Lord from our hearts in these troubled and troubling times.
The Lord’s response to Habakkuk, I would suggest is His response to our pleas as well. “For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late.” Doom and destruction, sin and death are overcome by faith that leads to right living under the grace of God.
That is why the psalmist tells us to sing joyfully to God, to offer Him thanksgiving, to bow down in worship, to bend our knee to Him so that our hearts do not become hardened, and we turn away from Him who is the author of all life. In Baptism, we died and rose with Jesus Christ to become living temples of the Holy Spirit, sons and daughters of God our Father. So let us take to heart the words of Saint Paul “…stir into flame the gift of God that you have… For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.”
Difficulties, troubling times, strife, discord, a world and society going in the wrong direction at breakneck speed…all around us. What is our vision, our purpose, our spirit in the midst of this world? God gives it to us. He has chosen us to be His own. We belong to Him. Our focus is on Him. By surrendering ourselves to His grace, we navigate through this world on our way to His everlasting Kingdom.
Scripture, Sacraments, prayer, fasting, almsgiving, charitable giving, surrendering our will to His Will…we become conquers by His grace and sharers in Christ’s victory. We shine His light into the darkness bearing our “…share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.”
God bless you, God love you,
Monsignor McCulken
