INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily this morning is, “Have Courage.”
If we were asked to give a talk on courage, most of us
would say something like the following short homily I put together this morning.”
“Have Courage!”
WHY THIS TOPIC?
Well, when Barnabas - the saint for today, June 11, is mentioned - along comes
the message of courage.
In the Acts of the
Apostles, where Barnabas is mentioned
26 times, it says in Acts 4:36, “There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus,
Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means ‘son of
encouragement’).”
Biblical specialists say, “bar” means “son”, but “nabas”
doesn’t mean “courage”. It’s my sense,
but I’m not a Biblical Scholar, that they gave him this nickname or new name and
later on found out that his strength was that he gave people courage. He
encouraged folks.
At funerals I like to ask folks to describe the person
who died with one word.
Out come one word or a few word descriptions and comments
like, “quiet,” or “sharp” or “Catholic” or “Christian” or “had a sense of
humor” or “funny” or “a good listener” or “a giver”. Sometimes, but not that often, I hear the
word, “courageous” or “courage” or “encourager”.
I think I hear in the Acts of the Apostles that Barnabas
was the type of person who encouraged folks.
If you read the gospels, you hear Jesus saying, “Have
courage” or “take courage”.
DEFINITION AND DESCRIPTION OF WHAT COURAGE IS
Courage means strength, stick-to-it-tiveness,
perseverance, fortitude, endurance, hang in there [which I always equate to
Jesus’ 3 hours hanging in there on the cross].
SERENITY PRAYER
Courage is one of the key words in the serenity prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot
change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”
LET ME
CLOSE WITH TWO QUOTES WITH COURAGE IN THEM
Edgar Guest [1881-1959]
one of America’s popular poets and inspirational writers described courage as follows:
"Courage isn’t a brilliant dash,
A daring deed in a moment’s flash;
It isn’t an instantaneous thing
Born of despair with a sudden spring.
But it’s something deep in the soul of man
That is working always to save some plan.”
Edgar Guest came to the United States from England and he
started out as a copy boy at the Detroit
Free Press in 1895. He then moved up to become a police reporter. Then he
became a frequent writer of inspirational
stuff that became well known all over the US. He was to inspirational popular writing what
Norman Rockwell was to popular American painting. In other words, like courage it took a lot of time, living and learning.
This next quote or note or comment comes from A Farewell Dinner speech by the doctor and
writer, Sir William Osler [1849-1919]. He gave it on May 2, 1905. It's still good stuff. It passes the test of time. So if courage is sticking to a plan - especially
a life giving one - then notice that the following piece has a couple of courageous steps to put into practice.
“I have three personal ideals. One, to do the day’s work well and not to
bother about tomorrow …. The second
ideal has been to act the Golden Rule, as far as in me lay, toward my
professional brethren and toward the
patients committed to my care. And the
third has been to cultivate such a measure of equanimity as would enable me to
bear success with humility, the affection of my friends without pride, and to
be ready when the day of sorrow and grief came to meet it with the courage befitting a man.”
