2/28/2014 – Friday of the 7th week in Ordinary Time – James 5:9-12

      Wow, it is the end of February.  Where do the days go?  We see the passing of the days, we get caught in our busy schedules with so much we need to get done, and the one thing we truly lack in the modern world is patience.  Lacking patience and having a temper are two of the things I often hear about in the sacrament of reconciliation.  We hear about patience as a theme today as well in our first reading from the Letter of James.  We are told not to grumble amongst one another, to be steadfast and patient like Job. Patience is not any easy virtue, we know all too well.  Patience doesn’t come easily for most people, and true patience doesn’t really come from our own will.  Patience is found in persevering, according to James.  Patience is about having faith in God and allowing his grace to work within us.  Within our patience and our perseverance, we find the purpose that the Lord has for us in our lives.  We will need patience and perseverance as we start our Lenten journey next week, as we journey those 40 days with Jesus.  May we pray for the steadfastness and fortitude that we need.