The Impossible To Please
Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Priest, and Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs
My dear encountered couples:
There are children who never seem to be able to satisfy their parents. No matter what they do, their fathers and mothers criticize them. The same can happen to parents. Some children are always in disagreement with those who brought them into this world. There are husbands and wives who live every day at odds with one another. And it is quite obvious that democrats and republicans seldom satisfy each other.
John the Baptist and Jesus had that problem with their fellow Israelites. No matter what they did, they couldn’t please them.
“John the Baptizer came neither eating bread nor drinking wine,” Jesus told the people, “and you say, ‘He is mad!’ The Son of Man came and he both ate and drank, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!” It’s a wonder Jesus didn’t give up. Fortunately for us he didn’t.
God the Father has done wonders for us, Jesus joined us and died for us, the Holy Spirit works overtime daily to improve us.
Are we grateful, are we satisfied, are we happy with them? Or do we complain, and complain, and complain – like many of the Jews so often did about the ways of God? Do you find it impossible to satisfy some people?
Join the club. God the Father and his Son, with the Holy Spirit, are charter members. Shall we surprise them someday? Let’s tell them they please us.
