***
Gospel: luke 11: 37-41
After Jesus had spoken,
a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home.
He entered and reclined at table to eat.
The Pharisee was amazed to see
that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal.
The Lord said to him, “Oh you Pharisees!
Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish,
inside you are filled with plunder and evil.
You fools!
Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?
But as to what is within, give alms,
and behold, everything will be clean for you.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
***
***
Pope John XXIII, whose feast day we celebrate today, models how to live the spiritual life. He strikes a perfect balance between personal responsibility and trust in the Lord.
***
When he was a young man, he wrote in his diary, “Whatever God has given me to do, I intend to do it all.”
Little did he know just how much he’d be asked to do.
After his ordination to the priesthood, John served as a stretcher-bearer and chaplain during World War One. He then became a spiritual director in the seminary, and some years later was ordained a bishop.
As a bishop, he served in the Vatican foreign service, living all around the world, including Bulgaria and Turkey.
His two final promotions included becoming a Cardinal, and eventually pope.
“Whatever God has given me to do, I intend to do it all.”
***
I’m sure John would’ve shrieked as a young priest had he known that one day he’d carry the weight of the entire Catholic Church on his shoulders.
But as pope, he ended his prayers each night with the words, “Lord, I have done all I can do today. It’s your Church. Now I’m going to bed.”
***
What does John’s life teach us?
That there are specific tasks that the Lord calls each of us to do, from planting seeds of faith, to being kind to others, and taking an occasional leap of faith.
Whatever God has given us to do, may we do it all.
But at the end of the night, we should rest in peace, knowing that this world, our Church, and our own lives, are all in God’s hands.
Pope Saint John XXIII, pray for us.
***
***
Image credits: (1) Time.com (2) Inc. Magazine (3) Homiletic and Pastoral Review