20261029 Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

(Eph 6:10-20; Lk 13:31-35): Ask for Unshakable Inner Peace, and Let Today Take Root “Still, I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day, for it is impossible that a prophet should die outside of Jerusalem.” Dear brothers and sisters, in these words of the Lord from Luke 13:33, I hear the simplest of answers, and yet it stirs in me a feeling that is anything but simple. I call it simple because these words rest on a will and a faith that love the Father’s will so wholeheartedly that nothing is held back, no self-interest hides in the shadows, and the path is followed with a steadfast heart. And I call the feeling complex because the road that carries out such a calling must, of course, pass through many human struggles. Today, tomorrow, and the following day, we must cross the valleys of strained relationships and differing understandings that mark so much of human life. At times we must work through matters that feel closed in on every side, with a tension that takes our breath away. None of this can be avoided. What will shape the end of our journey is the courage and passion to meet it boldly, even ready to accept death itself. But in the end, we are not alone. First, we must stay awake in the Lord, discerning what we are to do and where we are to go. Then we must pray in humility, asking for the Lord’s help to carry us through every step of the journey. And with a maturity deepened by the Spirit, we must also ask for the wisdom to use everything the Lord gives us, including the help of other people, in keeping with his will. So Saint Paul urges us in Ephesians 6:10, 11, and 18: “Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the Devil. With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the holy ones.” What brings about good fruit is not the conditions around us. Rather, what sustains our life through every circumstance, and gives us strength to keep moving forward, is the inner firmness that grows when we refuse to give up and keep praying and striving through trials. In the moment, a trial may feel like a cross too heavy and too hard to bear. Yet whoever has come through it gains the strength to withstand even great suffering. That is why, when suffering comes, I try not to turn away or avoid it. I ask instead for the patience and perseverance to face it and overcome it, and for the wisdom to see all things in a hopeful light and to look toward the far horizon. It would be a great grace if our prayer were answered in full. But even if it is not granted at once, the very process of enduring a trial already leads us to grow within and to mature in spirit, and that, too, is a blessing. Disappointment, surrender, and discouragement lead only to a meaningless retreat. But if we set our hearts to something and keep at it, it becomes a weapon that is ours alone, one that no one else can carry for us. Whoever holds on to a soul that cannot be shaken within receives, even in the midst of pain and anguish, the strength and courage to rise again. Such a person comes to a true peace, keeping inner calm even amid anxiety and wounds. That is what gives us the strength to live out the Gospel of the Lord today, tomorrow, and the following day. If we are ready even for death, what is there left to fear? And as long as God’s love, stronger than death, takes root deep in our hearts and in the depths of our souls, we will surely be able, in the Spirit, to write each day’s journey as a precious and blessed diary. Today, entrusting everything to the Lord’s providence, let us ask for the grace to boldly cultivate the garden of love. Amen.