A JOURNEY TO INTEGRITY - ADVENT 2017 - DAY 11

Integrity... to never grow tired!

Second Wednesday in Advent

Is 40: 25-31; Mt 11: 28-30

To run and not to grow weary, to walk and never to tire... that is the call that the Word has today. That is a sign of integrity. Think of a person like Mother Teresa, she fought all her life against everything that drains humanity of its dignity, did she succeed? Or a person like Nelson Mandela, who spent 27 years in the prison to stand for equality and political freedom, did he totally succeed? Succeed... that does not matter. They never grew tired - that was the sign of their integrity. Nothing could break them. They were putting out their wings like the eagle, every time the oppressive powers tended to curtail them.

Speaking of running and never growing weary, I remember a reflection I shared sometime ago about a game on the smartphones - the famous game called Temple Run. Look at that man running, he is chased by some monster and he is running for life. If he stopped to rest he would be devoured. There are coins and precious stones strewn all through the way that he runs, he has to pick them up because they will give him the speed and the endurance to go on with the upcoming levels of difficulty. He cannot get distracted with those offers slowing himself down, neither can he be blind to those treasures! Very interesting to compare that with our life, as Christians.

Yes, we have this course to run. But we cannot become tired of it, we cannot complain about it. There are difficult moments and tiresome experiences. But there are also precious treasures that the Lord has in store for us - wonderful experiences, inspiring people, captivating values, sanctifying virtues, everything is there. We cannot grow tired. 

The Lord assures his sons and daughters that God will be with us strengthening us in this life and all its trials...you will run but will not grow tired, you will walk but will not grow faint...if and only if you have God with you! The Lord expresses his wish to comfort us and assist us, it is upto us to receive this grace and accept his accompaniment. Our integrity will be defined by our capacity to never grow tired!