Persevering To The End

Michael had a difficult childhood. His parents were far from perfect. From a young age he had to take to role of parent for his younger sisters. Yet he took his parents into our home when they were too old and feeble to take care of themselves. And later, when they required 24-hour care, he found a good facility to care for them.

As an adult he suffered from constant excruciating pain in his back. He did get cranky. But most of the time he did not let people know how much he was hurting. He listened patiently to the problems of others and truly sympathized and tried to help. He did not turn the focus to himself.

As a lawyer, his life was full of difficult people. In law, and perhaps elsewhere, they have the phrase, “You eat what you kill.” He did not get a salary, so he had to depend on having a stream of clients to produce an income. If potential clients did not come through the door, or, when they did, if he could not persuade them to hire him, we had very hard times. We often had hard times.

Before he died, I was very sick and near death. At the end, he waited on me hand and foot, despite his own growing pain. I could not even get myself to the restroom without his help. He was the personification of tenderness and concern. He never complained.

I do not think I every heard him say, then or ever, or even imply, “It’s not fair.”

He acceptance of the life God gave him made him holy.

Written by Laura Weston, widow of Deacon Michael

IF YOU LIKE, READ ALONG WHILE YOU ARE LISTENING:

Again in these readings today, the Church is getting ready for Advent.  It’s a penitential season.  And they are bringing to our attention two things.  First, in the Revelation, we see the triumph.  All the plagues and all the horrible four horsemen and all these things that were coming, have come to fruition.  The scything of the people, the killing of the people and now you have the remainder.  The remainder that… "We saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and on the sea were standing those who had won the victory over the beast." 

So the people who are going to heaven to spend eternity in heaven are in a celebratory perspective.  It's a wonder, amarvel, and they praise God.  That's what we aspire to do.  To be saved and to be there and to be able to praise God.

But the reality of our existence, as I was talking about before, is not just going forward and living our lives in wonder. 

I've known a number of people in this circumstance. 

Have you known people who were the youngest of maybe four or five children, six children, who at the age of sixty-something still feel like they were always deprived? Mom loved you better. 

I had a secretary one time who was the youngest of seven, I believe.  And except for one time, when they were sitting around looking at family pictures where they said, "Who's that?", and they really couldn't tell from the picture, that may be the only picture that her family took of her when she was a child.  Because there were six other older children running around and getting all of the attention.

We know people who take their position in life, and use it as, not as a cross to offer up, but as an excuse for being grumpy.  "I'm an old man."  "My beard is gray."  "I can't play golf like John does."  "My back hurts."  "Go away!"

The Grinch that stole Christmas, or Scrooge, who, until he saw the wonder of love, was just a grouchy old man.  These excuses.  And you go, "Wow, yeah!  You know, Jesus says you are going to be persecuted, and you're going to all have all these problems.  Boy, I know exactly what you're talking about.  My life is nothing but a burden!”

No, that's not right.  Because the reality of our existence, one, comes from perspective, and two, comes from the reality, that all of these things are a gift.  All of these things. 

When you read the books of the saints, it's amazing how many of them are the twelfth or thirteenth child of a family.  It's amazing.  And in all the situations in the lives of the saints... wonderful books, by the way, if you are looking for Christmas presents, those, the lives of the saints is a wonderful gift to give people... but we see the reality of their existence and just the reality of their existence about which they can complain is part of what make them holy.

St. John Vianny, the cure of Ars, was a loser.  He never could figure out how to read Latin.  Couldn't speak it.  He was inarticulate.  He accidentally deserted the Napoleonic army.  And he gets stuck in a backwater town called Ars.  And by the time he was done, they had to build a railroad line to bring in all the people who wanted to receive Confession from him.  He was a great, holy man.

Each and every one of us has that exact opportunity.  To persevere in Christ, no matter what we receive.  To look at it from the perspective of it being a gift from God. Sometimes it's hard to see the gift.  But the reality is that God gives us, first, what we can handle. 

I mean, I could look around, I remember being a father.  I had four children that most people looked at and went, "Oh, I wouldn't want to be their father."  And I'd go along looking.  "I wouldn't want to be the father of your children.  And your daughter sounds like something that I would never want to deal with.  And...", go on and on and on.

But God gives us what he knows is necessary for us.  Whatever it is.  Whatever the thing that we receive that isn't pleasant from the perspective of the world, is a gift from God to allow ourselves to be holy. Jesus goes through this litany.  You're going to be hated because of His name, but not a hair on your head is going to be destroyed.  You're going to be hated.

I'm a lawyer.  I know what it's like to be hated - it's not that nice.  That's the reality of our existence.

And if you look at it from the perspective of, "It's not fair," then, in fact, the devil has won.  The wickedness and snares of the devil win.

If you take a situation and allow yourself to be bitter and to reject God, and to reject Jesus, and all the things that He has done, you've allowed the devil to win. That's it.  Pure and simple.  If you succumb to the temptations given to us by the devil, you've allowed the devil to win. 

But if you persevere like Jesus says, then the reward is so glorious that we have the vision in Revelation from John, we have other visions, and we have people who are marveling and wondering it means to be in Heaven.  But we just know that it is wonderful beyond our comprehension. 

And we go, "Wow, to be a saint!" And what does it take to be a saint?  It takes accepting the reality of our existence, working to change it, yes, but the reality of our existence, and not allow the reality of our existence to pull us away from God.  To persevere to the end.  Because then, when we persevere in our lives we are preparing ourselves to spend all eternity in the wonder of Heaven.

November 28, 2018 3