Perseverance

For some of us, it is hard to get going on Monday mornings. There seem to be too many reasons why it would be better just to crawl back into bed and hide under the covers.

In today’s Gospel (Matthew 9:18-26) we have the example of two people who persevere in the face of oppositions, particularly from the opposition of other people. In both cases, their perseverance has miraculous results, by the grace of God.

There is the woman who fearfully approaches our Lord from behind, seeking a cure. She is full of fear yet full of faith and our Lord heals her.

Then there is our Lord himself, ridiculed to his face. He pays them no heed and perseveres in his task – and a little girl stirs to life.

We also have the example of the saints and the martyrs, especially those whom we celebrate today: men and women who persevered through nightmares and who now live gloriously in heaven.

Perseverance, of course, does not always yield instantaneous results (that is part of what makes it perseverance) but faithful perseverance is always honored by God and rewarded in his own time in ways beyond imagining.

By the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, may we always persevere in truth, charity, and faith.