”I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world”

Today at Holy Mass we hear from St Luke in the gospel…..The theme of today’s gospel is the importance of perseverance…How easy it is to give up….This is why we MUST be faithful in daily prayer, weekly fasting and living a Sacramental life….Sadly, far too many are not convinced of this reality…Do we need reminding from Jesus himself again?…….”I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing”…….Life is a marathon, it’s not a sprint….In order to “make it across the finish line”, we need to remain connected to “the vine”….You don’t believe me?…..You don’t have to look very far to observe human weakness…..It’s in each of us…This is why we need to “stay connected to the vine”.

“God has called us through the Gospel, to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ”

Think about for a minute how many man-made things do not last more than a mere 50 years…..How many business fall apart when they are transitioned over from parents to children…How many governments, who at one time had so much power and as time went on fell into disarray……..How many marriages start off with passion only to fall apart as the years go on….These examples should show us very clearly how our human failings, which we all possess effect the very things we build up and hold dear…..Jesus understood this, this is why he established a Church and gave us the Sacraments…..Sadly far too many take the importance of a Sacramental life for granted………The late Vietnamese Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan was a prisoner for thirteen years, nine of them spent in solitary confinement. The communist government targeted Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan for his faith and family connections to the former president of South Vietnam. During his time in jail, Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan wrote about spirituality, survival, and hope in prison. He smuggled messages out of prison on scraps of paper, which were copied and circulated in the Vietnamese community. These messages were later published in the book The Road of Hope……….Allow me to make a point here......How does a person survive nine years in solitary confinement?……I will tell you how…..Through daily prayer and living a Sacramental life……And here is the good news - We too can utilize these “gifts”…Jesus gave them to us specifically for this purpose…To help us to “run the race”…To enable us to persevere……Until we come to terms with our own human frailty, we will never completely rely on Christ….Once again…The road to heaven is a marathon and not a sprint…Jesus gave us his very Body & Blood to nourish us along that journey…My advice to you is this…..We need all the help we can get! - Don’t take for granted your capacity to sin and fall away from God….”The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”

“Light shines through the darkness for the upright; he is gracious and merciful and just”

Today in the gospel from Mass Jesus reminds us indirectly about our human weakness…..Do we have to bring up the fact that each of Jesus’s 12 friends ran away from him in the end….Even after seeing all the miracles - They still ran away!!….That should be all the evidence we need to know to convince us - That we must “cling to the vine”

”I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

The road to heaven is narrow and the world will throw everything it can at you to discourage you and prevent you from continuing down the path…But fear not……”I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world”