…God did not give us a spirit of cowardice,
but rather of power and love and self-control…

When we look back on our sacramental rites of not-so-long-ago, those of us who have reached “a certain age” remember that our Confirmation included a number of hints about the Christian adventure we would be beginning. As today’s readings remind us, we were told that no matter what troubles we might face, the Lord will be with us and He will not disappoint us. We were also reminded not to become cynical or mean towards others when life becomes difficult – Jesus had His troubles, too.

We were told some wonderful things as well, as in today’s second reading, where St. Paul says “for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for His sake; but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.” Those are strong words – strength, power, love, self-control. We really do need to hear this message…

How does this relate to our everyday life? It depends on our life circumstances. We might be given the strength to stand up for our faith, or the courage to refuse to cooperate with evil – or the power to cope with people who are cruel to us. It might mean that we refuse to despair when we are hurting, or that we will trust in God to bring the best out of life’s worst situations. We can never be ashamed of who we are, where we’re from, or where we worship. We’re God’s children.

Challenges have always existed – from ancient Judea and Greece to modern times. They don’t even change that much – people still make life hard for believers, children still bully other children, and people still encounter unbelievers who are hard to deal with.

But remember…God did not give us a spirit of cowardice,
but rather of power and love and self-control…you can do it!

Dorothy A. Hathway, CSJA