The Gospel of Luke, chapter 21:36
Courage is one of the cardinal virtues and it has to do with staying the course in good times and in bad. This is not easy to do in a world full of smoke and mirrors; dirty tricks and put-downs, but it is possible to stay the course and fight the good fight if only you have courage. Jesus recognizes, in today’s scripture, the value and the necessity of courage when it comes to following Him. We need to be on guard, He cautions us, and we need to pray for the strength to endure “all those trials” that life scatters along our path. Life is not a flowery bed of ease; it is a gauntlet that we must go through, and it takes courage to face that gauntlet. If you believe in what you are doing, and if you have the courage to stick with it, you will succeed with God’s help and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Nothing lasts forever. Whatever trials or misfortunes befall you, they will pass. They will pass and be no more like dust in the wind. You don’t have to be perfect to follow Jesus; you just need to be faithful, and if you are faithful you will change and you will be able to overcome your own failings and the setbacks of life itself.

Many people go to church on Sunday out of routine. Others are aware that something great is going on and perhaps that something very special is happening. But, they never really listen to the words they hear in church. These people can be described as Sunday morning Christians. Their minds are on something else—a job, the family, a car, a movie or bills to pay. It is only when they awaken to the message they are hearing that they understand its power to liberate them from the monotony and grind of daily living. Life suddenly takes on a whole new meaning. This awakening or awareness normally happens when a person is plunged into a personal crisis and feels the need to delve deeper into the scriptures in search of meaning. I have often been approached by individuals who told me that they attended mass for years without ever really appreciating what was going on; without ever listening to the words they heard. They were like the people Jesus describes as “having ears, but hear not.” [Mark 8:18]. But, what a transformation came over them when they let the word penetrate their minds and hearts, and put it into practice. That takes courage!

Life does not have to boil down to an endless, monotonous routine, one day much like another. What makes life exciting is a sense of meaning, and something to strive for.

At some point in our lives, we must face the fact that nothing in our world lasts for ever; neither fame nor riches nor poverty nor health nor success nor troubles, nor sickness, nor happiness. “Heaven and earth will pass away,” says the Lord, “but my words will never pass away.” [Matthew 24:35]. Jesus shares His word that will never pass away with you, here and now. But, He wants you to “be on guard and pray always that you will have strength to go safely through all those trials and to stand secure before the son of man.”
Fr. Hugh Duffy