33rd Sunday of the Year: When the tough times come.

Study: Consider a time when you felt paralyzed by fear.  What helped you to act in a healthy way?

Pray: Do you have a situation where you are struggling for the right words to day?  Ask the Lord for the wisdom to speak.

Serve:  Is someone struggling in your life right now?  How can you help them persevere?

Mass Readings – 33rd Sunday of the Year

In the Gospel Jesus responds to the questions of those who are wondering when the destruction of the Temple will happen.  Through the course of his dialogue three key points surface:

1. Do not fear.
2. Trust in the Lord for the wisdom to speak.
3. Persevere!

These points are crucial – they touch so much of our daily lives!  How often have we experienced moments of fear, or searched for just the right words to say, or looked for strength when we felt weak?  This advice is solid, practical, and helpful.

And yet while we may very well find ourselves nodding in agreement, we also know that this is often hard to do.  Fear can suffocate us and manipulate how we speak and act; sometimes we speak and live to regret what we said or how we said it; and there are days when we wonder why are we doing what we do.

The Lord understands.  Christ faced his fears in the Garden of Gethsemane; he spoke to the hearts of those who persecuted him, even as he persevered on the way to Calvary.

Today we examine our lives for vulnerable spots where we are weak and prone to temptation.  It is here that we call upon the Lord – to face our fears, trust in God’s wisdom, and keep going with a strength that is greater than our own.