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03 Apr 2016 - Solemnity of the Second Sunday of Easter; Divine Mercy Sunday, Cycle C

The reading from the Book of Revelation speaks of the “endurance we have in Jesus”: perseverance in the face of adversity. When have you relied on your faith to get through a difficult time? The disciples rejoiced when they saw the risen Christ. What does joy mean to you? What in your faith life brings you joy?

perseverance

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Homily stories

21 Feb 2010 - First Sunday of Lent, Cycle C

Some cousins from Ireland came for a visit recently and all the clan gathered for a feast. Before the first bite was taken, we stopped to pray: O God, we remember our grandparents and great-grandparents who, at such a tender age and in such dread circumstance, left their beloved families behind and braved a terrible voyage to an unknown land. We honor their courage and their faith and all the sacrifices they made so that we, today, might enjoy freedom and prosperity. We pray in gratitude also for those who, through the years, tended the connections between here and back in Ireland, the ones who wrote the letters, told the stories, and sent the snap shots, so that our kinship would not be lost. And we pray for those who re-connected over the years, who opened their homes and hearts to us when we visited, and who blessed us with the gift of their presence in our homes. We are the richer for the affection we share and the stories we hold sacred–stories of courage, of sacrifice, of perseverance, of faith, of hope, and of love. They let us know who we are, who we belong to, and what we believe. Through all the days and all the ways our family has ventured, we know that you were with us, God, ever present, always guiding, leading us on.

Authors Tom McGrath

gratitude ireland perseverance

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Homily stories

03 Jan 2010 - Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Cycle C

With the possible exception of Samson pulling down the house on the Philistines, the story of the Magi was my favorite Bible story as a kid. It’s just got so much going for it: mysterious royalty, treasures, a miraculous star, and best of all—camels! In our family nativity set, the camels were my favorites to play with. Such bizarre looking creatures! I liked that the camels had a place in the manger, along with the more familiar sheep, donkeys, and cows. It showed that even the odd and unusual was welcome with Jesus, and I’m sure I wasn’t the only third grader who sometimes felt odd and unusual. The camels are still my favorite today. I find them a kind of inspiration. They patiently bore the three kings great distances, traveling by night, following a star. I can picture their serenity and their long, slow lope—a steady movement over rugged terrain. One step after another, they carried the hopes and dreams of the Magi as well as treasures for the newborn king. Today, they show me the value of persistence and perseverance. They symbolize hope in times that can feel as desolate as a desert. When I feel the road ahead is long and my spirits are weary, the camel offers an example of keeping on keeping on. And sometimes, that’s the essence of faith.

Authors Tom McGrath

perseverance Hope Faith inspiration

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In other words

13 Nov 2016 - Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

One day people were standing around talking about the Temple, remarking how beautiful it was, the splendor of its stonework and memorial gifts. Jesus said, “All this you’re admiring so much—the time is coming when every stone in that building will end up in a heap of rubble.” They asked him, “Teacher, when is this going to happen? What clue will we get that it’s about to take place?” He said, “Watch out for the doomsday deceivers. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities claiming, ‘I’m the One,’ or, ‘The end is near.’ Don’t fall for any of that. When you hear of wars and uprisings, keep your head and don’t panic. This is routine history and no sign of the end.” He went on, “Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Huge earthquakes will occur in various places. There will be famines. You’ll think at times that the very sky is falling. “But before any of this happens, they’ll arrest you, hunt you down, and drag you to court and jail. It will go from bad to worse, dog-eat-dog, everyone at your throat because you carry my name. You’ll end up on the witness stand, called to testify. Make up your mind right now not to worry about it. I’ll give you the words and wisdom that will reduce all your accusers to stammers and stutters. “You’ll even be turned in by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. Some of you will be killed. There’s no telling who will hate you because of me. Even so, every detail of your body and soul—even the hairs of your head!—is in my care; nothing of you will be lost. Staying with it—that’s what is required. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be sorry; you’ll be saved.” From A New Message 4 Next Week (actapublications.com) based on The Message: Catholic/Ecumenical Edition by Eugene Peterson (ACTA Publications, 2013).

doomsday perseverance

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Homily stories

06 Jan 2019 - Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Cycle C

With the possible exception of Samson pulling down the house on the Philistines, the story of the Magi was my favorite Bible story as a kid. It’s just got so much going for it: mysterious royalty, treasures, a miraculous star, and best of all—camels! In our family nativity set, the camels were my favorites to play with. Such bizarre looking creatures! I liked that the camels had a place in the manger, along with the more familiar sheep, donkeys, and cows. It showed that even the odd and unusual was welcome with Jesus, and I’m sure I wasn’t the only third-grader who sometimes felt odd and unusual. The camels are still my favorite today. I find them a kind of inspiration. They patiently bore the three kings great distances, traveling by night, following a star. I can picture their serenity and their long, slow lope—a steady movement over rugged terrain. One step after another, they carried the hopes and dreams of the Magi as well as treasures for the newborn king. Today, they show me the value of persistence and perseverance. They symbolize hope in times that can feel as desolate as a desert. When I feel the road ahead is long and my spirits are weary, the camel offers an example of keeping on keeping on. And sometimes, that’s the essence of faith.

Authors Tom McGrath

camels persistence perseverance Hope magi

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Homily stories

20 Oct 2019 - Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

When I first started coaching freshman high-school soccer, I had a real problem beyond no coaching experience at all. Practice started on the first day of school. And by the following weekend we were scheduled to play our first game. Eighty to 100 freshmen would try out for the team, and I had only 25 uniforms to hand out. It was never easy putting together a team in only one week. So I would gather all of those who were trying out. I told them that to be considered for the team, they had to be able to run three “fences.” Each fence was three quarters of a mile. If they stopped or walked, they were cutting themselves from the squad. When I lined them up, I encouraged them to push themselves. It was difficult, but in a game that counted on conditioning it was the only way to quickly put a squad together. The message of scripture today is “Don’t give up.” Just as I would hear the freshman encouraging each other to keep going, scripture reminds us that the mighty Moses needed Aaron and Hur to support his hands and keep them steady. In the gospel, the widow doesn’t give up on her case. So the judge finally gives in to her. And Paul encourages us to be persistent and not give up on each other. We have a choice. But why would we want to give up? Don’t we want to make the team, be a part of God’s chosen people? It takes perseverance and all the energy and strength we have. But it is worth it, so we persist.

Authors Father Dominic Grassi

don't give up persistence perseverance

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Quotes

17 Nov 2019 - Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Perseverance is the sister of patience, the daughter of constancy, the friend of peace, the cementer of friendships, the bond of harmony, and the bulwark of holiness. —Bernard of Clairvaux In order that your prayer may be real, you must deal with the arduousness of work. . . . Your prayer becomes whole when it is of a piece with your labor. —Rule of Taizé By patient endurance you will win life for yourselves, although to this must be added wholehearted thanksgiving, and prayer, and humility. For you must be ready to bless and praise your benefactor, God the savior of the world, who disposes all things, good or otherwise, for your benefit. —Nilus of Ancyra

perseverance saint bernard of clairvaux

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