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Depart from me, Satan, for from me you shall gain nothing. Neither at the hour of my death shall you find me, for on the day of the Holy Cross I proclaimed a thousand times: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus… It’s a traditional Catholic invocation of protection and faith, often recited on May 3rd, which commemorates the discovery of the True Cross by Saint Helena.

Pope Benedict XVI is often quoted as saying: "The world offers you comfort. But you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness." This recalls a truth we often forget: comfort does not create greatness; the struggle does. Resistance creates strength. A seed does not grow by remaining on the surface. It must enter the soil, break open, and send its roots deeper before it can bear fruit. And yet, when life becomes difficult, our first instinct is often to look for a way out. When relationships become strained, when work becomes demanding, when our faith feels dry, when prayers seem unanswered, we want relief. We want the burden lifted. We want the struggle to end. Perhaps we came to Mass today carrying such a burden. Maybe we face a challenge at home, a struggle at work, uncertainty about the future, or a season where God feels distant. Years ago, I was going through a difficult time. I was discouraged, struggling, and ready to abandon something I had started because it had become too hard. I spoke with a friend, hoping he would offer encouragement or tell me it was okay to walk away. Instead, he gave me two words: “Dig deeper.” That isn’t what I wanted to hear. I wanted the struggle removed. I wanted an easier path. At the very least I wanted him to affirm the hard work I already began… But looking back, I am grateful I listened. He was right. The challenge was doing something within me. It was purifying my intentions, removing distractions, strengthening my character, and teaching me perseverance. The struggle I wanted to escape became the very place where I grew. St. Paul says that creation groans as we await redemption. But Paul does not describe our suffering as meaningless. He describes it as labor pains. Labor pains bring real suffering, but they also bring new life. Pain has a purpose: so do your struggles. God can use the challenges we face to deepen our souls and draw us closer to Him. Look at the parable of the sower. The seed that fell on rocky ground sprang up quickly, but it had no roots. When the sun appeared, it withered away. The problem was not the seed but its depth; it lacked real roots.

Conversion is for everyone, not just a select few. "No one can serve two masters: he will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon" (Mt 6:24). "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me" (Mt 10:37). These passages share a common theme, one made explicit in the first commandment: there is only one God, and there can be no others. This past weekend, many heard about the need to place God as our highest priority. We cannot worship creatures, or the goods of creation, in place of the Creator — to do so would be folly. Yet so many in the world choose some good as their god, organizing their lives around it while other, more important goods suffer. God sets the world aright when He dethrones the idolatry, ruin, sin, vice, and death of this age, and establishes a new kingdom with Jesus, the slain Lamb, seated on His throne of glory. We cannot serve the King of the universe and still worship other gods. So what is to be done with the other idolatries and gods of the age? They are to be rendered moot, trampled underfoot, or refashioned as tools to worship the one true God. Those who worshipped or fell prey to the errors of vice and sin are called to turn their backs on their former way of life and turn once more to the Sun that never sets — Light from Light, true God from true God. Jesus' public ministry began with a call to repentance: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel" (Mk 1:15). He then went about healing the sick, cleansing the lepers, and casting out demons. The new order was established because the true Sovereign had come to reign. Conversion, repentance, and new life in Christ were the hallmarks of the Church's work; her authority was demonstrated by her readiness to bring life to the downtrodden, hope to those in despair, and life to those forsaken in death. To meet the Christian evangelist was to meet Christ through him, and by him, to be called to transformation.