May 22, 2014 - Thursday

The face of the wicked hardens,
but the upright maintains a straight course. (Proverbs 21:29 NABRE)


Evil cannot deter good people from living virtuous lives.  No doubt, today's proverb would have rung true for the eleven Apostles during the first weeks after Jesus' resurrection.  I can even imagine how they might have quoted it to one another as encouragement during their times of uncertainty and shaken confidence...Hey Peter, hold it together. Be patient. I think something big is about to happen and we'll have to maintain our course!"  (Well, it could have been something like that anyway.)

Shaken confidence?  Indeed!  Think about it, they had first-hand proof of Jesus' divinity, they saw their friend perform all those impossible miracles over the past couple of years, he taught them things that were impossible for him to know, and they had come to know he was their long-promised Messiah--which meant he would restore the kingdom of Israel.  Recall that Rome had quite an army.  Even after they saw him die and impossibly come back to life, they were still expecting more drama!  And so, we see in  Acts 1, they asked Jesus if he is finally going to restore Israel!

All Jesus tells them is that they cannot know the Father's plans, but they should wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit comes and empowers them, at which time they will begin their mission of being Jesus' witnesses to the whole world.  Then he left them.

Shaken confidence?  Indeed.  Uncertain.  Confused.  These close friends of Jesus experienced exactly what we go through...and they were there!


Today, I will step through my own moments of uncertainty, confusion, and shaken confidence--by choice and, yes, in the power of the same Holy Spirit that was in Jesus and was given to the Apostles--knowing that it is evil that causes my doubt, and I will act boldly as a disciple in our times, in my own place in life.


Blessed Joachima, known for trusting God, pray for us.

Saint Rita of Cascia, patron of difficult marriages, impossible causes, infertility and parenthood, pray for us.