Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
A little over a month ago, on one of the very few nice days that we had in May, I decided that I was out of shape (that reality had been true for some time), and I should do something to get in shape. So I decided to do a 30-minute run around the exterior of the parking lot here at St. Pius X. And then I decided to try to keep it up around every other day. And then someone suggested that I run the CRIM, which I foolishly agreed to do. So I’ve been running about every day or two, usually doing 5 miles, but once a week trying to get in a 7.5-mile run.
A few months ago, I would have told you that I would only run if I were being chased, or chasing after somebody. And I can confirm that I never have a smile on my face while I run. Yes, you do get the endorphins (the good feelings) after you’re done, but the fact that you get them after you’re done running should say something about running in general. I can tell you that there have been no few amount of times where, during a run, I wonder what in the world I’m doing, and I just want to give up. But I keep on pressing forward, at least until I attain my goal of running the CRIM.
One of the plagues of today’s culture, especially among the youth, is FOMO–Fear Of Missing Out. I can’t tell you the number of young adults that I have spoken with over my nine years as a priest who convey to me their fear about experiences that they really want to have, but which may pull them away from a current education, job, or even significant other. There is a general lack of perseverance, of sticking with something for the long-haul, simply because it gets tough, or challenges appear.
Following Christ is not for sissies. It gets tough, and there are many temptations to veer off course to something else, maybe not even something bad, that catches our eye. As a priest, in my three parish assignments, there have been times–during my four years in East Lansing, during my two years in Adrian, and yes, even during my three years here–where I take my eye off Jesus ahead of me, and want to look back and wonder if I made the right decision. At first, as I entered college seminary, I was more like Elisha, telling my mom and dad goodbye, and then just going for it. But whenever a trial would present itself, and each parish has its own trials, there would be a little voice (like the one in cartoons that comes from a little red guy with horns, a tail, and a pitchfork) asking me to think about what life would have been like if I wouldn’t have gone through the seminary and been ordained. But the voice of the little angel on the shoulder with the halo and wings would respond with what Jesus said today: “‘No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.’” And, by the grace of God, I have persevered and been filled with such joy by remaining faithful to how God has called me to be a saint.
But it’s not just for priests. For married couples, too, there’s the temptation to cut bait and run. To be clear, I’m not talking about physically or verbally abusive situations, where a person needs to leave the marriage for his or her own physical or mental health. Marriage is tough; it takes perseverance. For me as a priest, I had eight years for the seminary staff to prepare me to be a priest. For married couples, it’s usually around 8 months, and it’s not daily preparations; it’s a day here, a weekend there, etc. And yet it is no less demanding of a vocation, and the temptations to look back also present themselves. But that’s why it’s so important, when discerning marriage while dating, to make sure that it’s a person with whom you feel God is calling you to spend the rest of your life.
There will be challenges that married couples will need to face together. Many of you here can speak to that better than I can. Many of you here have celebrated 25, or 30, or 40 or even 50 years together as a married couple, and some of you are even working towards 55 or 60 years of marriage. What I notice about successful marriages is that they both work at following Christ, and, more often than not, they don’t give in to that temptation to look behind them at what could have been. That’s true if you marry when you’re 19 or 22 or 30, whether you have 3 children or 5 or 8. Don’t look back at what could have been; face forward toward Christ and where He is calling you to be as a couple.
And for those not married or not considering a vocation to the priesthood, Jesus’ words are still applicable. It is not helpful in our relationship with Christ to look back and think what could have been. It’s not helpful to give in to FOMO, to the fear of missing out, and never make that commitment towards doing something great, no matter how hard it is. That goes for the simple act of making it to Mass every Sunday and Holyday; that goes for choosing to avoid places where you know you’ll be tempted to wander away from God; that goes for choosing to serve others rather than serve yourself.
In the life of a disciple, there will always be moments where we wonder what life would have been like if we would have chosen B instead of A, gone left instead of right, given in to temptation rather than following Christ and His plan for our life. Don’t look back; don’t second-guess yourself. Keep your determination to follow Christ and you’ll find the joy that comes from persevering and finishing the race that God has set before you.