Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee
There is little doubt in my mind that I would have been the kid in the front row of the medicine man show in the Old West, watching the huckster selling those bogus elixirs – you know, the cure-alls.
I am a sucker for the pitch. I guess it goes back to my comic book days when advertisements would grace the pages of the Superman DC Comics showing Charles Atlas, “The strongest man in the world,” pulling a train or lifting an elephant – demonstrating some incredible feat of strength. Why? Because he just took this “powdery substance” every day. “And now you, too, could do the same for just a few pennies on a dollar a day!” Luckily for me, I didn’t have the few pennies a day, and I was fortunate that my mother and father were smart enough to avoid indulging me in my fantasy.
I still am fascinated by the pitch, and at times, the products. Now, the Home Shopping Network (HSN) never intrigued me. I won’t spend a precious second watching that network. However, I am always intrigued by the pitch person who features a product that will revolutionize our concept of the world. Right now, I am trying to think of how I could use that rubber sealant that covers cracks and holes. Why, this product can even be used safely on the bottom of a hole-ridden motorized skiff, tooling through an alligator-infested swamp, with nary a leak in the boat. I don’t own a boat. I don’t fish, but would like to, and most of my plants don’t have cracks in their pots. However, I am still thinking there must be a need for this product somewhere in my life.
Part of my infatuation with the product and the pitch is my admiration for the entrepreneur. They see a problem, and think of how something different might improve a person’s life. I confess that I will page through magazines that show products and gadgets that will seemingly make the everyday life easier: an automatic shuffling machine for cards used by those too lazy to bend their wrists; different types of can openers; door stops; wallets that fit a multitude of credit cards; etc. There is always someone conceiving a new way to build a better mouse trap. Speaking of mouse traps, did you know there is a rodent repellant device that plugs into an electric wall socket?
I guess I will always be the boy in the front row of the medicine man show, falling for a pitch that will make life easier, as well as fascinated by the proposals of a quicker way to get things done.
However, the lessons in my own life, which were passed on to me by my parents, priests, teachers, coaches and friends are that nothing is achieved without hard work and nothing is accomplished without a maximum of blood, sweat and tears. It is sacrifice that separates those who seek to reach for the stars and those who are satisfied with the routine. There is no easy way.
This is especially true in the spiritual life. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those that enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.”
This is the beginning of 2017. There will be many who offer the quick fix or the easy solutions. Don’t be fooled. Step away from the hucksters of the world, and listen to the one who has sacrificed, who has achieved life through His resurrection, and who always tells the truth. Develop a relationship with Him every day in prayer, make Sunday worship a priority and plan your life sharing His friendship with others. It’s not easy and it’s not quick, but it is certain that we will be blessed by following Him as we LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
Note: This blog originally appeared as the January 3, 2017 "Love One Another" email sent to Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki. If you are interested in signing up for these email messages, please click here.