Short Term Enthusiasm

 The Apostle referred to as the “Doubting Thomas” reminds me of a lot of people who come to the monastery for retreat.  At the end of the retreat they are all fired up, like Thomas, who said in John 11:16, “Let us go die with him,” in reference to following Jesus heroically.  For a while the retreatant is fired up, but then stuff happens, the unexpected, that messes with their plans for following Jesus.  They end up clueless in trust, and courage.  They lose their way, and as Thomas says in John 14:5, a few chapters later, “Master, we do not know where you are going, how can we know the way?”  Without constancy in prayer, we all end up with a question, going nowhere.  Retreats are good but it is the daily dose that sustains us.