Jul192026
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Good line to remember during hard times: “I’m Sticking with It.”

During the Boston sports championship run, I approached one of our seminarians from New York and asked him how the Knicks were doing. He let out a painful moan. Then I asked about the New York Giants. He told me that they only won three games in the regular season. Then I asked him about the last time the Yankees won anything. He lowered his head in shame. I told him. “Look at you. You are miserable.” Quit the New York teams and join us, the city of champions. You will be so much happier. He said, “Never. I am sticking it out.” A month ago, I saw him. He is a priest now. I congratulated him on the Knicks winning the championship. He remembered the conversation I had with him a few years back and replied, “I am glad I stuck it out. It was worth it.

I want you to remember those words. “I am sticking it out.” Memorize them, let them take over your brain.

I have a vegetable garden on the roof, and to be honest, the plants are looking quite stressed these days. The reason is that they are producing a lot of vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, and green beans. The plants are bent over because of the weight and the heat. A few days ago, I went to have dinner with my father on the back porch. He pointed to the weeds that were growing along the house, and said, “Look at them, I can’t get rid of them. I noticed that the weeds were perfect, not a curled leaf on them. I know why they are not stressed. It is because they do nothing, they make nothing. If they could talk they would tell my stressed vegetable plants to lose the vegetables, take away the burden and the stress and they will be happy like they are. If my Veggie plants could talk, they would reply, “Never! We are sticking it out because we know it will be worth it.
Jesus uses a parable contrasting weeds and wheat so we can look at them both carefully. Yes it is hard to carry the cross, make sacrifices for others, and bear much fruit. Yet, stick it out, because it will be worth it.

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