But, then there come times in our lives- "forks in the road"- at which we do have the authority, we do have power over a situation. And we must act. The gift store at the Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in Linwood, NJ has a Serenity Prayer card that has a different ending to the Serenity prayer. It states: "And, Lord, help me to do what is right, even if I think it is hopeless."
Church bulletins are read for a second, ignored on the window sills, rejected as they are handed out at the exits but one may just find wisdom in those church bulletins. I found words of wisdom and encouragement in a church bulletin many years ago. I was a visitor at St. Catherine's in Spring Lake, NJ. I had reached a "fork in the road" and needed encouragement that I had made the right decision. The following was written in their church bulletin- April 26, 1998. At the time, I did not know that St. Catherine of Sienna's feast day was April 29.(She was a bold and spirited woman for every time. God used her to shape up a Pope!!!)
I share this excerpt with the eighth graders preparing for their Confirmation. I share it here today, on Pentecost Sunday. May the power of the Holy Spirit be with you always. Sometimes we need words as a reminder. There is some irony here for me as it begins with a Civil War General. Issues related to Civil War re-enactments factored into "the fork in my road."
"The Courage of Our Convictions" by Timothy McCanna (forever grateful to this person I have never met. Maybe one day he will learn how his writing helped me.)
"In a nearby park is a statue of Civil War General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. On the base of the statue is a quote from Robert E. Lee, commending Jackson's courage in the midst of battle, with the analogy of standing "like a stonewall" in front of his men, making sure that they held their positions. Courage in the line of duty, whether it be in battle, in fire fighting, or in protecting the public against criminal violence, is admired by most of us.
There are other acts of courage. However, they may not attract the same attention, but they are equally admirable, There is the parent risking life and limb to save a child. There is also the person standing up to private or public ridicule in defense of his or her beliefs. Going against public opinion can often be more difficult than physical fighting.
We see, for example that when the crowd demanding Jesus' death threatened Pilate with being "no friend of Caesar," he succumbed to the mob against his own conscience. He feared that to do otherwise would bring ruin to his career. When the apostles were called before the same group of religious leaders who had called for Jesus' conviction, and were told to stop preaching in his name, they (apostles) displayed tremendous courage. They said they had to "obey God" and even "rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name."
What a contrast, between those courageous apostles and the cowardly procurator. Of course, they had not always been courageous. Their courage came with the Holy Spirit, given to them by Jesus after the Resurrection- the same Holy Spirit that enters our hearts in Confirmation, to make us courageous in the face of difficulties. Courage is not the lack of fear; it is acting in spite of fear. A person without fear is not necessarily courageous, but possible imprudent, or even irresponsible. Courage means even though we are afraid, we act, and in the action, we overcome our fear. This is the kind of courage that is to be both admired and emulated. We, too, are freed from the pressures of having to "go along with the crowd," enables to proclaim our faith as boldly as those first apostles did."
The first apostles, except for John, were martyred. I believe that no one wanted to kill John. He stayed at the foot of the Cross. Who would really mess with that courage? The Apostles proclaimed their faith to make society a better place to live. Even if one does not believe in Jesus, His teachings make this world a better place to live. Many leaders, in other non-Christian faith practices, study Jesus' life.
Apostles proclaimed their faith boldly but not with violence. Apostles laid down their own lives and did not take the lives of others. A terrorist, homegrown or foreign (every country suffers from them), is not courageous, Terrorists take the lives of others- one, two, or many at a time.
Proclaim your faith with boldness- and use the gifts of the Holy Spirit. There is serenity in proclaiming one's faith even when fought against. Our faith in Jesus will never put anyone to shame. We may get fought against, mocked, or even in extreme cases, martyred, but when we come to a "fork in the road" a wise person will look to "what would Jesus do." I love the finest wine!!!!! "The stone, which the builders rejected, has become the cornerstone."
Marian R. Carlino
May 19, 2013
Pentecost Sunday 2013
