Encouragement and Perseverance

When I read the Epistle (1 Timothy 4:12-16) for this morning’s Mass, it struck a chord within me.  I realize it was St. Paul writing a letter of encouragement and perseverance to his protégé’ Timothy, but he could have been speaking to any one of us, as well.  He wrote:

“Let no one have contempt for your youth, but set an example for those who believe, in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.

Until I arrive, attend to the reading, exhortation, and teaching.

Do not neglect the gift you have, which was conferred on you through the prophetic word with the imposition of hands by the presbyterate.

Be diligent in these matters, be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be evident to everyone.

Attend to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in both tasks, for by doing so you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.”

One of the duties of my former job was to train managers in everything from basic customer service to housekeeping to the more intricate facets of management like leadership and organization.  I’m proud to say that most of the men and women I trained became my friends and I could depend on them to say what they felt. They truly let their "yes mean yes" and their "no mean no" (Matthew 5:37), and I encouraged that because it makes a relationship stronger.  One time, at one of our monthly meetings, the topic of my training methods came up.  One of the GMs made an off-hand remark, saying "Steve is a good trainer, but he gets really grumpy and short with you when you don't learn fast enough."  This got a laugh out of the group (and I joined in with them), but I put that little bit of information away, thinking a little self-reflection was in order.

A little later at the same meeting, I was doing a "hands-on" demonstration of a procedure that I often had to do in my position out in the field.  I would have to drill out tumblers from locks and open storage room doors before I could auction goods that had been stored and the customers had not paid.  I had to have a witness when I did this. That job usually fell to one of the managers I was training that day.  As I was demonstrating the lock removal procedure, one of the guys who had watch me drill a lot of locks said, "Steve, that's not how you do it. You have to use the "Catholic language".  I looked quizzically at him and he said, "You know, when you swear at the MF'n customer for not paying his bill or for not putting the lock on the right way that will make it easier to drill, or you'll swear at the lock for being too difficult to open once you've drilled it." This again got a huge roar of laughter and a lot of nodding heads as the rest of the team agreed with his assessment of my demeanor when faced with frustration.

It made me take a deeper look at myself and the pride I take in being a Catholic.  Is this the picture I want to paint for others as to how Catholics behave?  I was ashamed.  Since then, I have truly tried to think before I speak and ask Jesus to send the Holy Spirit to help me remember that, just as I see Christ in others, others should be able to see Christ in me.  It’s really hard sometimes and I fail, but that’s what the Sacrament of Confession is for.