[Jesus] answered,“See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ Do not follow them!” Luke 21:8
An elderly woman named Esther, still folding church bulletins at the age of 94, loved to hear my stories about Honduras. She studied my photos, enjoying the smiles of such poor folks. Then she’d say, “But do they know the Lord?” Oh yes, I would assure her, and they taught me to know the Lord too.
In this last week of Ordinary Time, with Thanksgiving just around the corner and the Christmas rush already stuffing the malls, we can get distracted. Among all the claimants for our attention and devotion—from modern-day Nebuchadnezzars like the one that menaced Daniel to the latest silly celebrities and sports stars—can we keep our eyes on the Lord? Perhaps the best way is to find Jesus where he told us he is, in the poor, the stranger, the ill, the prisoner, not in the palaces. Esther is with the Lord now. And we can be truly thankful for a faith that we never dare take for granted because we, too, know the Lord!
Miguel Dulick
Originally published November 24, 2015
