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I’m sure we’ve all heard about the sudden, tragic death of Kobe Bryant.

He was one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

But he wasn’t just born that way. 

Although he was gifted with immense talent, Kobe had to invest tens of thousands of hours into becoming one of the greats.

His story is one of discipline and grace.

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In the Gospel, Jesus says, “To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

God rewards the willing.

It’s one thing to be talented, for example, but another thing to be great.

So much of our success in life – or lack thereof – is determined by how hard we’re willing to work.

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Perhaps this Gospel is particularly meaningful to those who’ve come across a steep mountain to climb.

Certain moments seem insurmountable in life. But all mountains can be climbed through Christ who strengthens us.

We must simply take the first step. Tomorrow the Lord will give us the grace we need to take the second step, and then the third.

Even the tallest mountains are conquered by taking one small step at a time.

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“To the one who has, more will be given.”

God rewards the willing, because grace builds upon nature.

Kobe reminds us of that.

He was not only an athlete who worked hard; he was also a good man – a devoted father, husband, and faithful Catholic, who went to Mass hours before he died.

May his life remind us that God is always with us, offering us the strength we need to be the best version of ourselves, one day at a time.

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This is one of the few passages where Jesus speaks directly about Satan. Perhaps a word, then, on the nature of evil and how the devil works.

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Imagine you’re in a refugee camp. People are injured, hungry, stressed, and homeless. You’re just a volunteer aid worker, handing out food and supplies.

Like the refugees, you’re tired, hungry, and sweaty, but you don’t give up because there’s still work to be done.

You’re not trying to save the world; you know by now you can’t. You’re just trying to serve your neighbor as Jesus has commanded you to do.

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Suddenly, you receive word that Satan himself has entered the camp. He’s roaming around somewhere, hiding in someone.

So how do you spot him?

Saint Paul says that Satan, “masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14), meaning he tries to blend in with the crowds as much as possible.

So how do you find him?

He’s hiding in the one person who doesn’t have dirt underneath his fingernails, sweat dripping from his face, or the look of an empty stomach. 

He may be wearing a volunteer uniform, but he’s doing nothing to help his neighbor. He just stands back and watches.

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That’s the timeless temptation of Christians – not to get our hands dirty; to just blend in; to stand back and watch.

We know that Jesus tells us to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to visit the sick and imprisoned, but there’s a world of difference between knowing what Jesus tells us to do and actually doing it.

The worst thing someone can say about us is that they cannot tell the difference between a Christian and a person without faith.

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You and I are meant to be the light of the world, the salt of the earth.

We may not be able to put an end to suffering, but we must work alleviate it. It’s what the Lord commands us to do.

How, then, will I get my hands dirty – so to speak – by loving and serving others today?

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Today Jesus says to Peter, “I will make you a fisher of men.” Key to Peter’s success will be patience.

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Now I have two rubber bands in my hand. 

One is very long. The other is very short.

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Some of us are like this long rubber band. We’re incredibly patient. We can be stretched a long, long way – miles – before we snap.

Others are like this tiny rubber band – we can only be stretched a little before we snap.

Which one am I like? This long one or the short one?

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Ultimately, it doesn’t matter which one we are; at some point we all get stretched too far and snap. 

We yell. We shout. We scream. We cry. We say things we don’t mean. 

And often enough we do this to the people we love the most. 

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Perhaps that’s why Jesus chose Peter to be the first, “fisher of men.” He’s a model for all of us to follow, particularly at home.

As a fisherman, Peter had to be patient.

Sometimes he would go fishing all night, never catching a single fish. But did he throw his fishing pole into the water, yelling something like, “Darn you fish!” 

No.

Did he change jobs after a fruitless night of fishing? No. 

Did he give up? No.

He was patient. 

Day after day, Peter lowered his line into the water and waited for the fish to bite.

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He would need that same type of patience – the patience of a fishermen – to bring people to Jesus, because people can be incredibly slow to change – and slow to believe. 

If, for example, people didn’t accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior after the first time Peter preached and he snapped at them for being slow to believe, then they’d all run away!

Nobody likes a grouchy, fire and brimstone style preacher.

Peter will change people’s hearts slowly over time, luring them with kindness, with patience, and by gradually teaching them the truth by his words and actions.

Conversion is often a slow process.

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Like Peter, we’re called to bring people closer to Jesus – not further away. But that requires a fisherman’s patience.

Think about our classmates, our colleagues, our friends, our siblings, our parents, our spouse, our children, the list goes on.

How can we stretch ourselves a little more and bring them closer to Jesus?

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Maybe that means being a better listener, holding my tongue, giving someone else the last word, the benefit of the doubt, a second chance, or not picking at their faults.

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Whether we’re like this long rubber band or this short one, we can all stretch ourselves a little more with God’s grace, because the Lord is just as patient with us, for he desires to draw all people to himself.