Fr. Don's Daily Reflection - June 22, 2024
Psalm 62: “In you alone is my soul at rest. My help comes from you.”
The old Spanish missions of California are incredibly beautiful sites: bougainvillea falls over the walls; quiet courtyards invite you to stay indefinitely; young couples seek them out as gorgeous surroundings for their wedding. Undoubtedly time, human effort and the tourist office have moved them from stark to lush.
Still the museums at some of the missions give us some idea of how Fra Serra and the early missionaries lived. Bare rooms holding not much more than a bed, a chair, a table, some books, a fireplace. We can't help but be struck by their renunciation of familiar consolations, families and friends. A little thought makes us this-worldly people gasp at the other-worldly and faith-filled spirit of the missionaries.
They believed strongly that the salvation of human beings, including those of this new world, depended on faith in Jesus Christ. For this they did not simply spend a few hours a week preaching and teaching. They quite literally turned their backs on what was familiar, comforting, homey, even civilized, to bring this faith to this newly-found people.
It must make us wonder about the quality of our faith, how much of it there is and what would be left of it without the comfort we take for granted. We needn’t long to have our faith tested similarly but we do need to pray for its strength, not suppose it is more profound than it is. We might ask ourselves: where and how does our faith become practical in our daily life? Are their situations where it really makes the difference?
Psalm 27: “I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness / in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong; / be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord!”
