Does everyone remember the Costa Concordia cruise ship that hit some rocks off the coast of Italy, then started sinking? Captain Schettino abandoned the ship early while people were still on board. There was a public outcry because everyone recognized he had done something wrong: he put himself ahead of others. Admittedly, it must have been a scary situation and perhaps we might have done the same thing, but that still doesn’t make it right.

Compare that to another crisis situation. A plane taking off from New York in 2009 got hit by some Canadian geese (way to go, Canadian geese) and ouldn’t make it back to the runway, so the pilot decided to land the plane on the Hudson River. It was a miracle that he did it safely, but what was even more impressive was that, when everyone evacuated and stood on the wings, Captain Sullenberger was the last to leave the plane. Even as water was entering the plane, he walked up and down the aisle twice to make sure no one was left behind. Everyone said this man was a hero, because he did what was right even when it was hard.

Today, we’re talking about following God even when it’s hard. The first reading (Gen 22) is powerful: Abraham is obedient to God, even when God demands him to give up his own son. He followed God no matter what, and that’s hard, but that’s beautiful.

I wish I could have that kind of faith and obedience! I want to imitate someone like Mother Teresa who persevered even when she felt far away from God. It’s easy to follow God when everything’s going well (work, school, health); it’s easy to love our family when they treat us well. But we all know that the authenticity of our love is shown when things are difficult.

Is there anyone you admire? I bet you it’s because they did something good, not when it was easy, but when it was hard. We look up to people like this because deep down we know we’re made to be like this.

I remember watching one of the NHL drafts, when young men are selected to join the NHL. A reporter on the draft, Bob MacKenzie, told how these young were asked who their heroes were. Many wrote down famous players like Gretzky, Hull, Lemieux, Orr, Bourque. But MacKenzie point out with a smile, “When they asked Shane Doan who was his hero, he wrote down ‘Jesus.’”

Two things are interesting about this story: 1) Doan, an 18-year-old at the time, had the maturity and confidence to say something he believed in even though it wasn’t popular and he would stand out. 2) Jesus is the most admired person in history. He always did what was loving and right, and He proved His love, not when things were easy and people loved Him. He proved He loved God the Father when we hated Him, betrayed Him, and killed Him. He forgave everyone who hurt Him. He is the perfect model of who we’re supposed to be.

Last January, at the Verizon Center Mass for Life in Washington, D.C., an event with about 15,000 young people in attendance, Fr. Mario Majano told an inspirational story about a women who faced three trials.

“The first of three major trials came for this woman while she was a high school student and was raped and became pregnant. ‘Her family just let her be. She felt totally alone, [with] nowhere to go. [She was] practically disowned,’… A friend told the woman she ‘shouldn’t be going through this’ and that she ‘didn’t deserve this’ since she did not have any support. ‘This is impossible for you,’ the friend said. ‘Just take the practical solution. Abort.’ But the woman responded: ‘I cannot face the rest of my life knowing that I have taken this one [life] from someone…’

For a second time the woman found herself facing a trial, this time with a pregnancy from a man she loved but who had not committed to marriage. Her family urged her to abort and not take the risk of raising now two children without a father. They coaxed the woman, offering to ‘pay for everything.’ ‘For a second time, she was forced to look at this reality, look at her life and say: “It’s not perfect still. I’m not sure what my future holds. But…No, I can’t, no matter how genuine, how full of love, and [how] well-intentioned that suggestion was.” She said “No” once again to abortion, and “Yes” to this life that was growing within her…’

Thirteen years later, the woman now happily married, found herself facing yet again another trial, becoming pregnant during an intensive regime of chemical treatment for cancer. The doctors said, ‘Because the medication was so strong, there is zero chance that this child will be born normally,’ and suggested abortion… ‘Normal or not, this is something I cannot, I will not do,’ she told them…”

Then Fr. Majano said, “’And to this woman, for her valiant effort, for constantly staying firm, and focusing on her steadfast love for what life is, I simply say: “Thank you Mom! Thank you very much!’ The entire stadium broke into applause… Rosa, 53, [said] that Fr. Majano was her second crisis pregnancy. The choice she faced was either going to college or having the baby. “’He’s my college degree, right there,’ she said.” I wish I could be that faithful.

And what if we haven’t been faithful? One of the most courageous acts in the world is to go to Confession and say, “Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.” One of the most courageous acts is to trust in God’s mercy even when we feel we don’t deserve it; and God wants to forgive us. We all admire people who admit their mistakes because it’s an act of courage and humility.

What difficulty are we going through right now? What part of our life is hard, just plain hard? Is it praying, getting to Mass, going to Confession, loving our spouse, being patient with our children, obeying our parents, doing our work well, taking care of our health, fighting an addiction, a mental illness, forgiving someone who hurt us? Whatever it is, try your best; God will help you! We might not always succeed in doing what’s right, but don’t give up the desire to always do what’s right.

Let me end by explaining why we do the right thing even when it’s difficult. We do it, first of all, because it’s the right thing to do, because we’re called to be like God. But I think there’s another beautiful reason illustrated so well in my favourite movie, A Man for All Seasons. When St. Thomas More is in prison for not approving of King Henry VIII’s divorce and remarriage, his family misses him greatly, they’re worried to death if he’s getting tortured, they don’t talk at home because they’re sick with fear, they’re even mad at him for not being with them, and so they try to persuade him to give up. And his daughter Meg says to him crying, “Haven’t you done as much as God can reasonably want?” (He had already given up everything: his comfort, money, career, family, freedom.) And he comforts her by saying, “Well, finally it isn’t a matter of reason. Finally, it’s a matter of love.”

Why do we do hard things and follow God in difficulty? It’s a matter of love.