Monday of the 6th week in ordinary time year 2
Theme: Steadfastness in faith
Today the church celebrates the memorial of SS Cyril and Methodius. They were both brothers who devoted their lives to the evangelization of slaves. Their faith in God propelled them to work with the slaves and be selfless. They devoted their life to the service of humanity, by giving the slaves hope in an apparent hopeless situation. They are known as the patron saints of slaves. Their service to the slaves was informed by their faith and trust in God.
The 1st reading from the letter of St. James also points out the fact that testing of faith produces steadfastness. In view of this, we must try to have strong faith in times of trials and tribulations. That is not the time for us to lose faith in God. It is rather a period when we must remain steadfast in faith. As human persons and children of God, we must be ready to face the challenges and difficulties at some point in our lives; no matter what we do to avoid it. Let your faith in God always be a source of strength for you at such moments; he will never desert you. His grace is always sufficient for us. We see that in the lives of the two saints that we celebrate today. God sustained them in their mission and they recorded great success; by guiding the slaves to Christ, through their services and way of life.
With our faith in God, we will not be worried of signs and wonders when we are faced with difficult situations in our life. Just like the Pharisees in the gospel who came to Jesus requesting for signs. In our quest for signs and wonders, we can make grave mistakes that may take us away from the path that will lead us to life eternal. All we have to do is to have faith in God and allow him to guide our path, while we do our best to follow his directives in our daily life. No matter the situation you find yourself in life, trust in God and have faith in him, he will never disappoint you. The solution you seek may not come immediately, but it will surely come at Gods time; just be patient. May God grant us the grace to remain steadfast at all times. Peace be with you.