Monday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Seminarians of Conception Seminary College are our daily reflection writers for the first half of November. Every day will feature a reflection from a different seminarian. This is an opportunity for our seminarians to put their education into practice and connect with the people of God in a pastoral way.
“Be on your guard” (Lk 17:3). This admonition from the Lord is something that we need to hear very often. Because of our fallen human nature, it is extremely easy to get caught off guard and slip into sin. Jesus describes such occurrences as “inevitable,” which may cause us to worry that we will never triumph over some fault. It seems as if we will always be in a state of rejecting God.
Whenever I return home from seminary during the summer months, I constantly have to keep Christ’s words in mind. “Be on your guard, Xavier! You were not made to love the things of the world.” While being home is great, I have to make a great effort to maintain my various virtuous habits like attending daily Mass, staying physically healthy, and contacting my brother seminarians.
Perhaps you also have moments like this in your life. There are times when you feel so on fire with love for God that you don’t know how you could ever abandon Him again. But then, you are placed in some situation that seemingly tempts you beyond your strength; you fall, and you are sorrowful. But fear not, the Lord’s hand holds us fast (Ps 139:10). He takes care of those who “seek Him in integrity of heart” (Wis 1:1). He will not abandon you when you’re caught off guard; He just asks that you return to Him and resume your guard as best you can. This is faith in practice.
Reflection by Xavier Schmidt, seminarian
Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections