Remembering to Live
“My brothers, if one of you has a word of exhortation
for the people, please speak.”Acts 13:15b
Memories are so unique and so powerful. Think about it. A simple memory can evoke such strong emotions within us, sometimes good and other times bad. Sometimes they motivate us and other times they paralyze us. Memories and emotions are so intimately linked. Jesus told the Apostles, “Do this in memory of me…” Memory. St. Paul was moved to speak one day and he reminded the people of who they were and how God has walked with them all this time, from freeing them from slavery and leading them out of Egypt to providing for them in the wilderness and delivering their enemies into their hands and giving them the land He had promised them. He also reminded them of the leaders God has placed in their midst - from the prophets and kings to St. John the Baptist. All this St. Paul said to remind them of how much God has loved them and how faithful God has been even when they have not been so.
Brothers and sisters, I think you will agree with me when I say that we are far from perfect. We’ve all made mistakes and said or done things we regret. Standing here right now in the present, in the here and now, and looking back, how can we but not be moved with gratitude? How far have we come? How far has the Lord brought us? We didn’t do it on our own. It was God’s hand that guided us along the way and led us to this day and pulled us up when we were in the pits of despair and sin. When we look back and remember all this, we must be moved to continue forward, living life as God intended, having life to the full.
