Wednesday
of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time
Memorial
of Saint Monica
August 27, 2014 6:30am
Saint Paul in today’s first
reading says: “We wanted to present
ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate us.”
Paul tries to be a model for the
community of faith by how he lives his life.
On the flip side, Jesus
excoriates the religious leaders in today’s gospel for not being a good model.
He even calls them “hypocrites.”
My guess is that most of us,
maybe all of us have wanted to be like Paul.
We have wanted to be an example
or inspiration or model for others to follow – maybe your children or
grandchildren, maybe your students, maybe my parishioners, maybe your
employees, and on it goes.
Monica whom we honor today is
called a saint because she was a spiritual model.
She tried to be a model for her
non-believing husband and for her wayward son Augustine.
Monica’s quiet, prayerful
perseverance paid off and her son Augustine became one of the greatest figures
in all of our Christian history.
As we set out to be a model or
example or inspiration for others, each of us knows very well that we are not
perfect.
We all fall short of the mark and
do not follow the way of the Lord perfectly.
So I suggest two things.
First, let’s allow Saint Monica’s
way be a model for us: patient, not overbearing, nonjudgmental, respectful,
persevering, and prayerful.
That will be the best way to help
someone in our lives to find himself or herself and to find God.
And second, as part of modeling,
let’s admit our own shortcomings and imperfections and sins.
Doing that will make us persons
of integrity and all the more able to be a model or example or inspiration for
others.
