Tuesday – 8th Week of Ordinary Time

Gospel – Mark10:28-31

Sacrifice!

Via Dolorosa, Jerusalem

 

My Dad began working in a little country store at the age of 16 and retired from that same store over 50 years later.  It was part gas station, part ice cream stand, part deli and liquor store, post office, supermarket and local gathering spot.  After hours, it was also home for a long string of brotherly games of poker.  During all those 50 some years, my Dad ran the store on his own, hardly ever took a vacation, and worked roughly from 5 in the morning to 10 at night, at least 6 days a week.  During the school year we basically say him only at dinnertime for about an hour.  In the last 10 years of the store’s existence, he was also doing double-duty as the postmaster.  And yet in spite of all the hardships, somehow out of that tiny little store, he managed to put all four of his children through high school and college. 

I have yet to figure out how he managed to accomplish it.  And throughout all those years, I never heard a single complaint or bemoaning of his condition.  He simply did what he needed to do to support and nurture his family.  I asked him once near the end of his life – what would he have done different?  His reply was simple – no regrets, no second thoughts!   What sacrifice!  What dedication and love of family!  And the reward?  A full life, a life well-lived and a loving and grateful family! 

Sacrifice and reward!  We hear something similar in today’s Gospel!  Jesus has just finished telling His disciples that it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven.  And now Peter protests ‘Wait a minute, we’ve given up everything to follow you.  What’s our reward?  Do we even get a reward?  What about us?

Peter and the Apostles really have given up everything – family, home, lifestyle and job – all to follow Jesus!  Have they sacrificed much?  Yes, of course!  And the reward?  100 times more than anything you have given up!  The Kingdom of Heaven!

What about us?  A life of faith is not an easy one.  There is suffering; there are sacrifices to be made.  And in the times when we feel lost or lacking in hope, let us find the strength to continue in the example of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and His promise of eternal life to His faithful disciples.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
  Sunday – 13 th Sunday in Ordinary Time   revisited Gospel – Matthew 10:37-42 The Cost/Rewards of Discipleship Via Dolorosa, Jerusalem I’m holding in my hand a simple piece of paper, barely bigger than an index card.   It’s a mini-golf scorecard and it’s 47 years old.   At the time, the game itself probably cost only about $6.   Certainly a lot less than you would pay today.   So the cost today doesn’t seem like much.   But for me all that time ago, it was a wealth of money.   So it cost me a lot.   But the rewards of the card?   Well, that is priceless.   This was one of the first dates Ginger and I went on.   And who would have guessed how that would turn out?   All the memories we have shared, painful and joyful.   All the times we have shared together and the people who have touched our lives!   Priceless! Cost and reward!   Two vastly different concepts but they play a key role in all of today’s readings.   In the first reading, a rich woman goes out of her way t
Read more
Image
  14 th Sunday in Ordinary Time   revisited Gospel – Matthew 11:25-30 The “Little Ones” Open Market, Jerusalem There’s a story about a rather eccentric teacher who was always looking for creative ways to test (torture) his students.   Sometimes it was crazy project and sometimes it was a wacky exam that tested not just their knowledge but also their experience. So one day he hands out a test, typical normal test, Q/A, except this was the last question.   What’s the name of the school janitor?   One of his students looked at the question and thought – I know he’s short, wears glasses and has light brown hair but how in the world would I know his name?   So he left it blank and turned in his paper. When class was over, he went up to the teacher and asked whether that last question would count in the test grade.   Absolutely, said the teacher.   Throughout your whole life, you will find that every person you cross paths with is important, significant.   They deserve you
Read more
Image
  16 th Sunday in Ordinary Time   revisited Gospel – Matthew 13:24-30 Be Patient, My Child Tied Up in Knots! Many years ago, I remember one summer when it was time for our daughter Jaime to learn how to ride a bicycle.   So I took off the training wheels, she climbed onto the bike and proceeded to take off.   I followed close behind, holding onto the back bumper, trying to keep the bike upright and trying to make sure she didn’t fall.   It was exhausting for both of us.   I thought I was being a good dad by doing everything I could to keep her from falling.   But it didn’t work.   We were both getting frustrated.   Finally, she had had enough and she banished me to sit on the front porch while she worked it out on her own.   It took time and it took a lot of patience, something neither one of us had much of at the start of the process. I was getting impatient with the process and she was getting impatient with me.   Patience was in short supply.   But in the end, patience w
Read more