Friendship & Sarcasm

Today, a classmate and I went to go see the movie "Paul: the Apostle," which is about St. Paul and St. Luke. The most touching parts of the film to me is when Sts. Paul and Luke are stuck in prison together in Rome and they are reminiscing on their early ministry years together. They laugh at the silly moments where they were naïve or where they suffered through cold nights in the wilderness. They thank each other for being there in the difficult times. There was sarcasm and playfulness with the tears and blank stares of memories passing before their eyes. This small, minor scene made me feel so at peace. We are not always going to like the ministries we are involved in and we are not going to like the people or places we are in and with. However, God gives us that community, that staff, that team, that partner to do His work with. At the end of the day, we are doing all of this in the name of Christ.

I have to admit that I felt so at peace watching this scene. It made me feel as though my team and I are not alone in those struggles of ministry. I put my all into it and I have a great boss and gaggle of catechists as my team; I am so grateful for them. I am grateful for their time, their effort, and their care for their classes. I am so thankful that we are all centered on spreading the faith to the next generation as well. We exhaust ourselves in the name of God; what a beautiful life to lead. It is beautiful and messy at the same time. I am so thankful to live when we do though. Although we are living in a time of decline of the faith and a time of certain persecutions, our life as Christians will never be as difficult as those in the early Church. Those who were caught were tortured, whipped, burned alive, beheaded, crucified, drowned, and more all for Christ. We have our own set of difficulties to face, but nothing as terrifying as those first 300 years of the Church. Thank you, God, for putting me in ministry in 2018.

I know that I have already learned so much Just as St. Luke and St. Paul look back at those times and see how those memories got them to where they are now, I will look back and see this experience as forever giving. They were able to laugh and see where God was leading them. There are days that feel the same and there are days that we struggle. Christ never said that living as He did would be easy, but would be worth it. The best part is that we are not alone in the joys and the sorrows. Thank you, Lord, for community. Give us the hope to rely on each other through the persecutions God hands us and through the laughter and the joy that ministry can provide.