Mtr Mary Trainor

In my uttermost bones I know something, as do you. It is that there can be no despair when you remember why you came to Earth, who you serve, and who sent you here.*

Dear friend,

The words above are from a little piece circulating on Facebook and bearing the title,We Were Made for These Times.

Regardless of where you stand, I think we can agree these are difficult days in the life of the world. Once, and not so long ago, we felt it possible to speak and be heard fairly, to pen words and be understood, or at least know that earnest effort would be given to understanding. In that same vein, facts mattered and graciousness was valued.

Speaking our truth these days comes with greater risk, if only the risk of being misunderstood and having our words used against us.

But there have been many other dangerous times and places, not the least of which was Palestine in the first century. Our Office Gospel today (Matthew 22:15-22) reveals one such occasion. It is an apt illustration for all times in which kingdom and empire struggle for control.

Jesus is confronted by those seeking to entrap him. Is it lawful, they pose with faux sincerity, to pay taxes? He knew their intent, and thwarted their efforts with a spirit-driven response.

This calls to mind Jesus’ words earlier in Matthew (10:19): “...when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say.”

The good words we say and the good deeds we do are not ours. They are the words and deeds of the One who brought us here.

A friend shared a story. An employer wanted him gone and, because there were no real grounds for termination, set into motion a gossip campaign alleging some wrongdoing.

Co-workers approached my friend with stories about what the boss was saying, to everyone except to my friend himself. Initially, and because the claim was so outrageous, he thought it was some grand misunderstanding.

But the gossip persisted, so he located evidence that was proof-positive he had not done what was alleged. He took the evidence to the boss to clear his name. 

The boss wouldn’t look him in the eye, and denied having ever accused him. It’s unimportant, she said, refusing even to review the document. That’s when my friend knew what the gossip suggested was true: This was an unfair fight with a motive to eliminate my friend’s presence. He was not going to win, and it was not going to be a pleasant place to stay.

He entered a period of soul-searching discernment. In time, he was inspired to move forward: He left the job, which opened doors he had never imagined possible.

In that spirit, I hope you will write this on your wall: When a great ship is in harbor and moored, it is safe, there can be no doubt. But that is not what great ships are built for.

Mtr. Mary

*From We Were Made For These Times by Clarissa Pinkola Estes.