MARCH 2018
Good Stewards Know Thorns Are
More Valuable Than Roses
If you have heard at least five of my homilies, at least one thing
will have jumped out at you. I stress the need for us to hug our
PROBLEMS. Now don’t get me wrong, I love life’s good times and,
thank God, I have had many. And, I am an optimist. I see life as the
glass half full, not half empty. Nonetheless, Jesus and life have taught
me that we will never be maturely happy here nor will we get to heaven
without a significant dose of struggle in our lives.
Let me talk about my personal experience. Good times prompt
me to coast. Why change if times are good? Yesterday was good.
Today is good. So, why change? I anticipate tomorrow will also be
good. And, here’s the deal. Coasting through life can give me pleasure.
But, pleasure always comes from things and always ends. Further, there
is something almost perverse about good times and pleasure. The more
I get what gives me pleasure, the less pleasure it gives me. A medium
rare sirloin steak once in a while gives me enormous pleasure.
However, if I ate steak breakfast, lunch and dinner for 30 consecutive
days, I would despise the 90 th steak.
Pleasure comes from things and always ends. Happiness, on the
other hand, comes from emotional, mental and spiritual GROWTH.
Happiness comes from successfully wrestling with life’s biggest
problems. And, of course, life’s biggest problems all deal with getting
through this life’s struggles in a way that will get me to the PERFECT
peace, joy, happiness, pleasure and fun of heaven. Happiness is the
peace of mind that results from becoming a spiritually better person. As
a result of hard work, I know that dealing with life’s problems by
following Jesus’ advice me will get me heaven later and, ironically,
HAPPINESS NOW.
(continued on page 8)
PAGE 1
Inside
-2-
VOL Students Enjoy Hands-on
Learning
-3-
Congratulations to Our VOL
Students
-4-
Paschal Candle Explained
-5-
VOL Cajun Fest Lineup
-6-
Jesus: World’s First Marketing
Agent
-7-
Cajun Fest Full Schedule