Though they may have names and places that sound foreign to us, listening to and reading St. Paul’s letters is so real. Right off the bat, Paul speaks of Demas, who deserted him because he was “enamored with the present world.” He then lists the others who have left him and mentions that Luke is the only one still with him.
This must have hurt Paul, who believed he was winning souls for Jesus with these brothers in Christ, only to have them leave. As I thought about this, I remember my Mom’s instruction to my brother and me as we headed out for a new school, “Remember, stick together; you’re brothers.” It’s easy to do this when things are going well, when you’re accepted and part of the crowd. But as we all know, whether as kids or adults, there are times when people challenge you because you are new, different, or because they don’t like you, or perhaps even themselves.
I can remember, like most young guys, walking home as we’d just started at a new school and the inevitable back and forth that led to shoving and a few fists with two of my new, and definitely larger, classmates, not far from the statue of Mary! That would have been the time for my brother, two years younger, to run; but he didn’t, and though we did not win the fight that day, we stuck together. What made it even more amazing were the nightly battles between the two of us at home. (Years later, I would take partial credit for my brother becoming one of the wrestling team captains because of our younger days.)
As we get older, we realize that it is when we face, not the physical, but the psychological and spiritual challenges, that we need others’ loyalty as family members and brothers and sisters in Christ.
Counsel from St. Paul
- Paul, after he’s done an inventory of who’s gone, asks for Mark because he is helpful in the ministry. Do you have a Mark or Mary you would ask for? If you don’t, pray and keep your eyes open for one. We can also ask, are we the type of person that others would seek out to help them when they are in need? (That’s something to pray for as well.)
- Paul then lists the materials he needs to keep going. What about us? Do we have the tools, whether a prayer journal, Rosary, bible, liturgy of the hours, or spiritual reading, to sustain us, to keep us from becoming enamored with the present world over the Kingdom of God?
- Then there’s Alexander, the coppersmith, whom Paul says they should be on guard against, for he has done a great deal of harm. Paul reminds us to be aware of our actions and words so that we don’t contradict the teaching of God and harm the spiritual lives of others, and to beware of anyone who acts in this way.
- Finally, Paul shows incredible forgiveness to those who deserted him. He also reminds us that even if we are abandoned by others, God is always with us, giving us the strength and the courage to act and speak in His Name, even to those who do not yet believe or who have fallen away from faith in God.
Throughout our lives, we face challenging moments; times when our courage, loyalty, and love for God and each other will be tested. No matter how things turn out, if we can stick together with God, then even if we might lose popularity or earn some bruises, as St. Paul says, we will win the imperishable crown received in Heaven.
To paraphrase St. Paul and my Mom: Stick with God and stick together.
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