“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”

“Patience is power. Patience is not an absence of action; rather it is "timing" it waits on the right time to act, for the right principles and in the right way.” ― Archbishop Fulton J Sheen

(Gospel text: LK 12:35-38)

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master's return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants."

Think about the way Jesus lived when he walked the earth. He spent his first thirty years living a quiet life, waiting for just the right moment when he would burst on the scene and begin proclaiming his gospel. He was always ready for the call, but he knew his time had not yet come. Even today, he is in heaven, ready and waiting for the moment when his Father will send him back to earth. And in this in-between time, Jesus has passed the baton to us. Baptized and Confirmed in His Spirit, we should make sure that every day we are dressed and ready (Luke 12:35) for whatever challenges come our way. Even if it is simply to wait for our turn to run, we can still offer every act of sacrifice and love, no matter how heroic or mundane, as a prayer to the Father.

Each day that passes brings your race closer to a close. Before you know it, you will lay down the baton.

So take your mark! Draw courage from the heroes of the faith who have completed their course, the saints. They’re cheering you on, just as your Father is.

Get ready. Get set. Go!