October 7, 2020

By Father William Muench
NCC columnist

Today, the first thing I thought of was to write a quick about the colors of the season of fall. This would be perfect for this time, wouldn’t you say? You and I live here in the North Country, so we know all about fall colors, don’t we? When I think of the Diocese of Ogdensburg, I think of the Adirondacks, the Champlain Valley, the area near the St. Lawrence River and such at this season of the year, I think of fall colors.

With fall colors, I think of standing on the lawn in front of the Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake looking out over Lake Colby. Such a gorgeous sight! All the fall colors – the beauty of God’s creation.

This year the fall colors may help as we go through the pandemic. Today, however, I wanted to share with you a further need – a challenge that will make a difference in our lives despite these terrible times, a challenge that will make a difference. Any ideas?

My idea: I think it may be about patience – a lot of patience. I know that patience is rather difficult for many of you, but I think that patience will be the most important help and solution for our hopes and dreams. There are too many tensions these days, tensions that are rather distressful. We need patience. We are bombarded with questions: Am I healthy? Do I have symptoms? Are those other people affected? Did I remember my mask? Am I too close to those others?

Today, I am urging patience. I believe we can properly get through each day when we humbly live with patience and without fear. Each and every day, our Lord, Jesus, gives us the opportunities and challenges – our way of living with faith as followers of Jesus when we accept life with patience.

These opportunities are not meant to be just another tension, another pain to add to all the others. Rather, we realize that the Lord gives us these challenges in love, so that we will become a more loving people. I believe this demands a strong patience and a new approach to life. That patience will bring – and should bring – true happiness. We will discover that, despite the COVID, how wonderful our life is. We are a special people. We are loved.

Discovering this helps us to become patient people. I believe we discover true patience when we realize that we are a loved people. We are a loved people, so we must live as loved people. Patiently, we must realize that our efforts will bring love to others. In this way, we help them to see how wonderful their lives truly are. We must never forget that we are a loved people. We must help others to realize they are a loved people.

God love us. We know that. God created us in his image. God created this world for you and for me. Jesus came to transform our world by teaching us how greatly God loves us. Jesus came to transform us, so that we realize that every opportunity, used well, will make this world of ours a better place. We will bring happiness and peace to others.

Do you remember the last time someone said, “I love you” and really meant it? Changes the day doesn’t it. It makes us a different person, and I believe will make each of us a more patient, loving person.

I must share with you a new, nice expression. I just came upon it. When we live with patience and realize how much God loves us, we will be “deliriously happy.”