“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.” Great beginnings, like those opening lines of A Tale of Two Cities, are more memorable than most endings. Because when we open the first page of a novel or watch the curtain rise on a play, we are charged with anticipation.
“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times,” is a great beginning precisely because it describes the paradox of anticipation. We’re roused by the rivalry between best and worst, two superlatives both as uncompromising as life and death: One must end if the other is to begin.
“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times” describes Thomas’ perplexing paradox of anticipation. Jesus promises him a place saying Thomas already knows the way there. But assuming this place is a destination, Thomas insists that he doesn’t know the way there. Because without knowing the end point, he can’t even decide in which direction to begin.
However, the right direction doesn’t matter because all lead to Jesus if we begin faithfully. Thus, “Have faith in God and faith also in me” is the only direction Jesus gives because it’s the only direction we need. If we begin faithfully we’ll always find Jesus in the end. That faithful beginning is how we discover that Jesus is not just a way, but He Who is the Way. That faithful first step discloses Jesus is the Way not to just a truth, but to the Truth, not to one life, but to the source of all life. However, such faith requires that we begin without knowing the end, confident that every step toward Christ during the worst of times always ends with best of times.
We seem to be in the worst of times. However, although the school year will not end as imagined, it is also the best of times. Because you get to decide the beginning of this end. You get to compose your own commencement address. Commencement means beginning. Composing your own commencement address, like penning the opening lines of a great novel, allows you to convert this year’s capricious ending into an auspicious beginning. Your commencement will charge the world with expectancy if you change the world with your fidelity. But faith always requires you to begin without knowing the end. Because you can only discover your proper end in Christ when you begin to walk in the faith of Christ. Address yourselves now to commencing that first step in faith the faith of Christ. For although you are as yet only in the lauds of your life, that first step well begun will be a far, far better thing than you have ever done. And then when the compline of your life finally closes upon your bones, it will be a far, far better rest than you have ever known.
About The Author: Conventual Franciscan Father Kenneth G. Davis is a visiting professor of spirituality and spiritual director at the Saint Joseph College Seminary in Louisiana.
Photo by Terrence Thomas on Unsplash
- We Can’t Have Two Masters | Breaking Bread Gospel Reflection
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Jesus said to his disciples:“The person who is trustworthy in very small mattersis also trustworthy in great ones;and the person who is dishonest in very small mattersis also dishonest in great ones.If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth,who will trust you with true wealth?If you are not trustworthy… Read more: We Can’t Have Two Masters | Breaking Bread Gospel Reflection - Catholic Review: St. Bernadette’s Grit, Guts, And GraceFacebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn The drama of this saint’s story arrives to U.S. cinemas September 28 and 29. Every live theater lover longs for a remarkable and spellbinding connection during the show. Bernadette of Lourdes: The Musical offers exactly that—a spectacular work for both the faithful and the secular, carrying the audience into the… Read more: Catholic Review: St. Bernadette’s Grit, Guts, And Grace
- 4 Beautiful Catholic Shrines In The U.S. To Visit With KidsFacebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn These family-friendly pilgrimage destinations offer faith, beauty, and hands-on experiences for young hearts. Living less than an hour away from the only approved Marian Apparition Site in the United States–the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion–I grew up visiting the Shrine and going on field trips to the sacred… Read more: 4 Beautiful Catholic Shrines In The U.S. To Visit With Kids
- A Catholic Review Of BAU: Artist At WarFacebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Finding Creative Hope In The Heart of Hell – In Theaters September 26 Some movies simply captivate you, not just for their technical brilliance but for their ability to tell a story that feels both authentic and universally relatable. These are the kind of films that challenge you, enlighten you,… Read more: A Catholic Review Of BAU: Artist At War
- 7 Deadly Sins: The One Prayer Everyone Struggling With Pride Needs To Say DailyFacebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn “It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels”. — St. Augustine My first memories of mature confessions, not centered around fights with my sisters and forgetting my bedtime prayers, are not very interesting. I was a well-behaved teenager with good grades, who… Read more: 7 Deadly Sins: The One Prayer Everyone Struggling With Pride Needs To Say Daily
