St. Paul wrote to the Church which was gathering in Rome to say, “patiently do what is right.” (Romans 2, 7) Later in the same letter, he says that “affliction produces patience, and patience produces character, and character produces hope.” (5, 3).
When we live with such hope, our relationship with Jesus cannot be hidden away in a purely private sphere. If it is the most important relationship in our lives (and it must be), it will have an impact on our other relationships, and on all we say and do. The supreme challenge before us is to never let our faith rest in some kind of private space, but to live it visibly and tangibly. That is not easy, especially in our culture. But Christ gives us the resources (His Word and Sacraments among the most important ones) which we need to live as His disciples and witness to our faith. His enduring presence gives us endurance, too. Let us patiently do what is right.
