To the Ends of the Earth. Mark C. McCann
we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 Jn 3:16).
Saturday
Go Deeper
How has Christ shown me his abundant life and love this week?
Where do I find the most satisfaction in my faith? Why?
Am I committed to loving and receiving Christ in the Eucharist? If not, what holds me back? What will I do to draw closer to him in the Blessed Sacrament?
Have I shown sacrificial love this week? If not, why not? If so, was I as generous as I could be?
Do I show others the reality of the Eucharist in my words and deeds? Do I receive Communion with reverence? Do I let the Blessed Sacrament make a lasting impression on everything I say and do?
1. Pope Francis, Morning Meditation in the Chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, “At Mass without a Watch,” February 10, 2014, https://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/cotidie/2014/documents/papa-francesco-cotidie_20140210_mass-without-watch.html.
Week 2
Double-Minded or Fully Joyful
Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways, will receive anything from the Lord.
James 1:2–8
Sin, while always connected to pride, is also a product of doubt. So often as Catholic men, we find ourselves facing trials and folding under pressure in our efforts to persevere. We find it difficult to consider it a joy that our faith is being tested. We hate weakness and failure, and trials bring us both. In the end, it is doubt that can cause us to stumble. When we are double-minded, unsure of our motives and our methods, unstable in all we say and do, we fall short of God’s call to be men of action who build the kingdom on the sturdy foundation of Jesus Christ. When we doubt that God will supply the wisdom and the strength for us to see our trials through, we allow the enemy of our souls and this broken world to toss us about, leaving us floundering in our faith.
Saint James has the prescription for our doubting, double-minded, unstable ways. The whole first chapter of his letter offers the answers to finding the full measure of joy in the midst of trials:
1. We will boast in our lowly yet high standing.
James reminds us that a lowly man can “boast in his exultation” (Jas 1:9), because his source of strength comes from God alone. Accepting our lowliness helps to change our perspective and guides our actions. We recognize our need for God and become open to the transforming power of the trials of life that reshape us to serve the One who is our source of strength.
2. We must avoid the birth of sin.
James describes the power of temptation, which leads to the birth of sin if we give in to our own desires. Moreover, “sin when it is full-grown brings forth death” (v. 15). Temptation is the work of the world, the flesh, and the devil, not God. God gives us the power to persevere, not to fall, to discover our worth and purpose as we strive to avoid sin and to love as God has loved us.
3. We must not allow the sea of our troubles to toss us about.
We cannot receive God’s wisdom and blessing if we are too busy being blown back and forth by our doubt (cf. v. 6). We must ask God to supply us with the assurance and understanding we need to navigate our struggles in faith so that we will be strong and steady men of action who build the kingdom by all we say and do.