1 Corinthians 15: 50-58

The Vincentian Daughters of Charity told me about a courageous Venezuelan Sister named Sor Xiomara. She was working in Colombia when she received word of a desperate situation in her home country. A home for elderly was without food, medicines and other basic supplies such as diapers. Sor Xiomara and a Colombian Sister loaded a van and headed for the border. When they arrived, a soldier stopped them. "Get out of the car," he ordered. The Colombian Sister started to open her door, but Sor Xiomara said, "no." The soldier pointed his gun at her. She said, "You can kill me, but I am not leaving this van." The soldier then asked, "What are you bringing across the border?" Sor Xiomara said, "food, medicine, diapers for the elderly." The soldier said, "Give us half and you can go." The Colombian Sister said, "Give it to them. We can get more." But Sor Xiomara simply repeated, "No." The forty year old Sister and the young soldier stared at each other in silence. Finally the soldier said, "Madre, Mother, you can go." St. Paul tells us, "Be firm, steadfast."

Of all of his songs, nearly all have fallen out of regular use save one, our focus for today, “Victory in Jesus.” “In 1939, a stroke rendered Bartlett partially paralyzed and unable to perform or travel. He spent the last two years of his life bedridden. Amid such bleak circumstances, he wrote his final and most beloved song … The … verses and refrain enthusiastically tell of one's own personal salvation experience from beginning to end. It's said that Bartlett missed traveling and teaching, but he could still study the Bible, a study from which he gave us this wonderful song during a time when much of the earth sat on the brink of World War II.” (1) Despite all of his successes, it is from this song, born of Bartlett’s faith through suffering, that we remember today.

Michelangelo also had the right perspective on death. A friend commented on the wonderful life that Michelangelo had lived and said, "After such a good life it's hard to look death in the eye.” Michelangelo responded: "Not at all. Since life was such a pleasure, death, coming from the same great Source, cannot displease us."...