The vow of obedience for us religious is one of the three pillars, that define who we are as religious priest, besides, simplicity of life and Chasity. Basically, it requires us to surrender to the mission and vision shared by the Congregation through the voice of superiors. That implies that when you are transferred from one ministry and place to another, you must move.
Obeying Just Authority
This one time I was transferred to one of the parishes considered at the time the toughest because it was engulfed in all kinds of storms. I tried to give all kinds of excuses to the superior, not being able to speak the language, causing more confusion than good. Until he just said bluntly: Fulgens, you cannot assign yourself where you want to work. The chapter closed; I had to move to that parish.
Putting Aside What is Easy
Why am I sharing this story? Sometimes we know what the Lord is asking us; the ministry is inviting us to do, but we can be tempted to seek different paths. We are more inclined to seek the easy way out, especially when the task ahead seems like a big challenge to handle.
God's Will
Jesus in today’s gospel offers a different teaching. When some pharisees came to warn him about not going to Jerusalem that he will be killed by Herod, of course it is difficult to evaluate whether their warning is either sincere or representing a real threat. Jesus’ response was swift and bold; “Today and tomorrow and the next day I must go on. He had to go on his journey even though it was the city that killed prophets.
- In those moments when God is calling us to take on a certain path, we need to say to ourselves, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day. Bishop Desmond Tutu from South Africa once said; “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.
- In our different capacities we do have a prophetic duty to proclaim the gospel to people despite all the threat or challenges that might stand before us.
- When we hear Jesus speak those bold words: Today, Tomorrow and the next day, we get such a strong sense of his resolve and commitment that we need to cultivate within ourselves. We are encouraged to rethink what we understand about being safe, about being comfortable.
- Just as Jesus was resolved to be a true prophet, we are invited as baptized Christians to remain steadfast and determined to preach the good new with our lives. We are called to be true witnesses of his in all ways.
- We need to cultivate a deep commitment to what we stand for as disciples of Christ, and we must be ready to hang in there, or persevere through the many challenges as we carry out God’s will for us.
- We must place our focus on Jesus and not the tempters force that do offer us the easy out.
- Today’s Readings
- Father Fulgrens's inspirational homily was recorded live during Mass at the Father Peyton Center this morning. You can view the Mass (and the Rosary at the 30-minute mark) on the Family Rosary YouTube page.
- To join the Rosary and Mass Livestream, visit the Family Rosary YouTube or Facebook page at 11:30 a.m. Eastern, Monday – Friday. Consider inviting others to join too! (*If you are not a member of Facebook and a signup window appears, simply select the X at the top of the pop-up message and continue to the livestream.)