January 28

"Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." (Hebrews 4:7)

There are many stories about holy people throughout history, who in God’s name have accomplished great things for the poor and the weak. They were people who saw the need around them and did something about it. Sometimes we believe that they were great and famous because they had special advantages, a special gift or personality. The truth though is that most often they were simply ordinary men and women. Many of them carried the load of a difficult background with them. But they identified with Jesus and sacrificed themselves in serving others. They shared the burden of the world’s sin. When Samuel Brengle met William Booth on one occasion, during his most powerful years, he said: ”There is the man who in our time carries the heaviest burden of the sin of the world.”

There is a risk nowadays that we sit and wait so long for the right opportunity to come along, or for the circumstances to change for the better, that we never get started and never accomplish anything for the Kingdom of God. There are always excuses: ‘My background isn’t right, I don’t have the right knowledge or the right personality, I have so much else to do’, or, ‘I just can’t make it right now’. All those excuses harden our heart and take away our ability to feel empathy and be touched by other peoples’ sufferings.

Prayer
Jesus help me today to be attentive when You speak to me. Help me to act immediately according to your guidance. Open my eyes so I can see the needs around me and give me the courage to take action.