Today is the Memorial of St Norbert:
+ A TRUTHFUL PERSON
Today’s gospel gives us a great example of one who could see right through what was happening in the hearts of those around him. When in Pharisees asked if it was lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar and sought to ensnare him, Jesus knew exactly what was going on in their hearts.
As I thought about remembering our Br Norbert this morning I found the homily Fr Elias gave at his funeral back in December 1917. His description of our Br Norbert stands in such contrast to what we just heard in the gospel, I thought to quote from it the following: “The real test of virtue is whether you do the virtuous thing even when it is unnoticed. This was Norbert’s comfort zone: do the right thing for the right reason and try not to be caught at it. As he moved into old age, he adapted less in terms of personal preference or comfort than in terms of service: when he couldn’t be on his feet too much, he did the driving; when he couldn’t drive anymore, he focused on the print shop, all the while fixing anything anyone brought to him, and, when all else failed, making rosaries.”
What motivates our lives makes all the difference in the world..
(Tobit 2:9-14; Mark 12:13-17)