If you are anything like me, when you were younger, your mom would send you out the door after a litany of reminders and questions. Look both ways before you cross the street. Remember that permission slip. Be nice to your sister. Do you have your milk money? It must have been tough everyday to send us out the door into a world that could be scary. All admonitions were delivered with love and at the core the belief I would make good choices. I had the foundation, the basis to do the right thing. (Well, I probably needed the reminder to be nice to my sister.) The readings show us Paul and Jesus trying to make sure we know it will be difficult without them. Paul doesn't mince words: Savage wolves will come. We are told to be vigilant, that even without him, we know what to do. In the gospel, Jesus prays to his father for his followers and for us. He wants to keep us safe even though the world will be harsh. His word and the truth will consecrate us. We have the foundation, the basis to make good choices. The world can be a scary place, whether you are a third-grader or an adult, wrestling with doing the right thing sometimes. We need to remind ourselves of that. We have to be ready for the savage wolves of modern life. Today I pray that I remember to be vigilant, to remember that it is more blessed to give than to receive and that some days will be hard. God is with me. Now I just have to remember my milk money. |