Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel can be a bit challenging even to understand, because they at least touch on aspects of the end-times, known by the fancier word of “eschatology.” And part of Jesus’ consistent teaching about the end is that we shouldn’t try too much to figure out times and places, signs, and chronologies. And so, in some sense, delving into the details about precisely what Jesus’ comments and images could mean about the end times not only misses the point, but even kind of goes against His instructions.
The Unknown Makes Us Anxious
And yet, just because we should avoid the temptation to try to de-code predictions from this passage, doesn’t mean that we should ignore it as irrelevant to our lives as disciples. Indeed, the message that Jesus proclaims, even if it will have special meaning at the end times, can convert us and motivate us right now. For here Jesus commands us to move forward with purpose and not to waste time looking back. Certainly, good advice if one found oneself in the tumult of the apocalypse. But also sound counsel for many circumstances in the ordinary life of faith.
At times, we may have a clear sense that God is calling us to take on something new, or to convert away from some old habits or ways that might be sinful or might just no longer work for us. And even though we have heard the call or seen the signs pretty clearly, and even though we have exercised prudence in doing the necessary discernment, and even though we may even have taken the first steps, still we might hesitate to invest fully, or still we might find ourselves constantly looking back.
Perhaps we fear failure or are overwhelmed at obstacles we face. Perhaps we’re clinging to what we’ll have to give up. Perhaps we’re stuck in resentments from the past and lament that, had things gone differently, this new path would not even be necessary. Perhaps we’re indulging in an unhealthy nostalgia, not simply grateful for gifts of the past, but kind of wishing for our past life.
Move Forward with Purpose
Whatever tempts us to hold back, Jesus challenges us to move forward in faith and obedience. And today’s Saint, Frances Xavier Cabrini, is an incredible role model for us in this precise lesson. Rejected by the first religious order she applied to in her home country of Italy, she could have let disappointment frustrate her, but, at the encouragement of her bishop, she founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart in the 1880. Denied permission to evangelize China, she could have remained obsessed with this romantic dream; instead, she obeyed Pope Leo XIII and traveled to the US to minister to poor Italian immigrants.
Once in New York, Mother Cabrini faced major opposition from powerful interests, but she overcame them to found orphanages and schools. Letting go of her old life and loyalties, she became a US citizen. Never complacent with past service, she traveled throughout the US, South America, and back to Europe to further her mission. She invested in each new place with such dedication and love, that many cities seem to claim her as “their” saint. Today we pray for her intercession that we, too, in our own smaller ways, might hear and answer God’s calls with courage and commitment.
