Ignatian Reflections

24 September 2024

Written by Richard Nichols S.J. | Sep 24, 2024 4:00:00 AM

Tuesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Reality is a proving ground for human ideas.  A scientist has a hypothesis, so he runs some experiments in search of proof.  Likewise, reality is a proving ground for human aspirations.  A sportsman aspires to excellence, so he enters a competition to prove his mettle.  Perhaps he has correctly intuited the proper training regimen and refined his technique to the maximum.  Perhaps he is a champion, but perhaps not.  The only way he can discover reality is to prove himself.  The same can be said for every human activity.  “All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes, but it is the LORD who proves hearts (Proverbs 21:2).”  We can only try.  However valiantly, however feebly, we can only try.  It is the Lord who proves what is really there.  Life is a kind of a test which may, at times, seem burdensome. 
Some kids really hate gym class, some kids really hate science class.  A good gym teacher not only teaches a child how to compete, but also how to appreciate athletic excellence.  A good science teacher not only teaches a child how to develop a hypothesis, but also how to appreciate testing it in the lab.  With the right teacher, you will learn how to compete, how to experiment, and how to enjoy the process of obtaining proof.  The right teacher is none other than Jesus Christ himself, and, under his guidance, you will step into any arena and into any proving ground with self-confidence, with zeal and with inner joy, and you will be proven victorious, like He was.