A Jesuit Catholic University
in Omaha, Nebraska, since 1878

[476] Ephesians 3:14-21 Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 11-12, 18-19 Luke 12:49-53

Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer The Daily Reflections

“Easier said than done.”

How often do we repeat this phrase in our daily lives? We use it so often it’s become a clichéd excuse for inaction when confronted with some obstacle, either real or imagined. We casually dismiss advice and suggestions as too insurmountable, and, in doing so, subtly imply that the advise-giver would share this extended apathy.

Less often, however, someone will respond with “Well, I did,” or “It worked for me.” Nothing is as disarming as hearing someone else has done exactly what we’ve shrugged off as “easier said than done.” These instances are cause for pause, to be certain, and can make us rethink our own perceptions of what we can, and should, do.

In our reading, Jesus reminds us that following his word brings about certain challenges and divisions, assuring listeners (and readers) that a Christian life is not always easy. Nonetheless, he still calls upon us to follow his teachings and to submit ourselves to God at any cost.

“Easier said than done.”

It’s a challenge.

It’s a challenge for us to do as we ask others to do, to be what we ask others to be, and to live a life that may cause divisions. But that’s what being a good and honest human being calls for, at times. When confronted with a hypothetical, it’s easy for us to imagine (or hope) what we’d do in a trying situation. We must remind ourselves (or, rather, allow God to remind us) that, though the righteous path is often “easier said than done,” we are more than an empty promise to ourselves and God, but we are doers.