Hello GVM reader, and Grace to you.
In the Gospel for today (Lk 1:1-33), I was struck by the lines “Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not sit down first and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say “this one began to build but did not have the resources to finish”.
My wife and I had a house built this past year, the first one of our nearly 30-year marriage. This was certainly a major adventure and a complex project. We totally get the cost of building a house, and the planning needed, and having the means to guide the project to completion. We had a budget, all the contractors were paid, and we had the resources to finish. Praise be to God. The stress of the project will wear off as our family enjoys the house for years to come.
Working with Father Maurice to revamp and expand Gratia Vobis Ministries is big project that is underway. If you’re reading this, then we have at least made some steps toward GVM 2.0. However, unlike our home building project, we do NOT have the money and people power to do all we want to do right now to revamp Gratia Vobis Ministries. We are starting our journey, and there are many things that we don’t know and won’t know until we get there, but we are determined to move ahead. Risky? Yes, in a material sense. Do I know the total material cost to operate the ministry, even on a shoe string budget? Not yet. Worth the risk? Absolutely.
Today’s Psalm (27) tells me that He’ll be there to shed light into the darkness of the unknown. If God is with us, who can be against us? So, we have chosen to follow God’s lead, and make our ministry worthy of the time, talent and treasure of others. We are confident that it will change the lives of our fellow Catholics in a good way. The first reading from Philippians gives me the assurance and solace in building this “tower”. When we are doing work for Christ, then we are not “running in vain, or laboring in vain”, because Christ has paid the cost. Thus, there is a certain spiritual joy and preparedness for satisfaction, even when there is material risk. So, if I may paraphrase what Paul told the Philippians, the stress of this project will wear off when we are able to share this joy with all of you. That’s when we know that we are on the path to doing something great.
