This has only been a test

1 Peter 1:3-9; Psalm 11 The Lord will remember his covenant forever; Mark 10:17-27

I remember growing up, often times when we children were watching TV after school, something strange would occur. The TV would start making a weird buzzing/beeping noise and the screen would turn different colors and then a voice would come on saying, "This is a test. For the next 60 seconds, this station will conduct a test of the emergency broadcasting system. This is only a test."


We children would sit and watch and listen then a note would come on telling us, "if this had been an actual emergency..."

Then shortly it would be followed by we will now return you to your regular programming.

The emergency broadcasting system was intriguing, but we always looked forward to the regular programming.

This is what the Lent and Easter seasons are sort of like. THey are the test of the emergency broadcasting system. It is the Church's way of making sure we are in line. Our senses are put on alert and we enter deeper into the mystery of Christ's death and resurrection.

But now we return to our regular programming, ordinary time. We enter in the travails of these ordinary days, walking with Jesus in the daily grind.

It is here in the daily grind that our faith is "proved" and we exercise our muscle of faith increasing in strength through the ordinary moments of our life. It is here in the ordinary that Jesus invites us to sale all we have, and follow him more closely. It is here in the ordinary that we allow God to be the Lord of our life, surrendering control that we too may cross the needle's divide.



We may want to invoke the intercession of the patron saint of the daily grind to keep us active in our faith while it is being proved through the daily living we embrace.

Saint Benildus pray for us. Our patron of the daily grind.