God never said it would be easy

By Norm McGraw

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/051323.cfm
Acts 16:1-10
John 15:18-21

When I’m not writing reflections every seven weeks, I’m a musician (composer and pianist) and piano instructor. Over the years, I’ve frequently used “plain” talk to explain complex musical terms to my students. I described my approach to a friend of mine in this way. It’s as if the student’s mind is a house with locked doors. However, I discovered that I could enter through an open side window. My friend commented, “If it were easy, everyone could do it.” I responded, “Well, you have to be creative.” 

The first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 16:1-10) exhibits God’s “creativity” in showing St. Paul another locale to spread the Almighty’s word.  After traveling “through the Phrygian and Galatian territory…, they (Paul and a disciple) came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.”

However, after reaching Troas, “During the night, Paul had a vision. A Macedonian stood before him and implored him with these words, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us’.”

So, although Bithynia’s “doors were locked” to God’s message, Macedonia had an “open side window.” To paraphrase my friend, it’s not always going to be easy to spread the message of Jesus Christ.

In fact, in the second reading from the gospel of John (John 15:18-21), Jesus makes this very point to his disciples.

He tells them: “If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you.”

Not only did Jesus choose his apostles for this mission, but he has also chosen us. He’s really talking to us when he says: “If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me.”

Even today, there are places in the world, even in this country, where the Divine message is attacked and his followers persecuted.

God never said that it would be easy.

But the rewards for following Him and adhering to His message are fulfilling to our souls. The responsorial psalm (Ps. 100:1b-2,3,5) hints at it when it states: “Know that the Lord is God; he made us, his we are; his people, the flock he tends.”  And again, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” 

That’s why the response to this psalm happily proclaims: “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.”

P.S. Happy Mothers' Day to all the moms out there!