“What are you doing tonight?” my daughter asked. “Maybe I could come over and finish the lining in my jacket.”

 

“Tonight won’t work. I am on my way to my sisters. We’re going out to dinner and then to a movie.”

 

“What are you going to see?”

 

I hesitated. “Guess.”

 

“I don’t have any idea,” she replied.

 

“The King’s Speech!”

 

She laughed knowing I had already seen that movie a few times. First was with a friend. I liked it so much that I took my daughter to see it a couple of days later. I never mind going to the Drexel, figuring I am not only seeing a good movie, but also help the small, independent theater keep going. The third time I was invited to go by friends who hadn’t seen it. I obliged. So, when my sister said that was the movie she wanted to see, I didn’t balk.

 

“Why?’ you may ask. Well, besides being based on a true story and having a marvelous screenplay as well as Oscar worthy performances by a number of actors, the movie delivers an inspirational story with humor, poignancy, and grace. I knew nothing of King George VI and his personal battle with stammering. Nor did I know details of the Royal family during the years and months that led up to the Second World War.

 

As in all great stories, this one has a message that transcends the time and personalities involved to speak to us today. During my second viewing, I took a small notebook and jotted notes as best as I could in the dark. I will share a couple of my thoughts with you.

 

One is the importance of trusting in your gifts and your call to use them for others. Without being a spoiler, I will say that one of the characters draws on personal experience and gift rather than scholarly training to serve. Even when challenged, he remains steadfast his knowledge of who he is and what he as to offer.

 

This can be difficult and for many of us, self-knowledge and confidence is elusive. Countless experiences contribute to a person’s ability or inability to recognize, appreciate, and nurture who they are and what they can contribute to the world.

 

Today we celebrate the feast of Saint Scholastica (b.480-d.547), leader of a community of religious women and twin sister of Saint Benedict. A popular story of the holy twins is one that shows Scholastica’s trust in her relationship with God and sense of her own knowing of what was right in the face of her brother’s objections. The two met once a year to pray together and read and discuss spiritual writings. Once, when the time arrived for Scholastica to return home, she asked if she might not stay longer so she and her brother could spend more time together. Benedict said, “No.” Rules are rules. He had to return to his monastery. Scholastica didn’t give up. She prayed and a storm ensued. “What have you done?” Benedict asked, perhaps thinking that she was being pushy and selfish. Scholastica said since he had rejected her appeal, she asked God for help. Benedict had to give in. I wonder what she had to say to him, for few days later, Scholastica died.

 

A second theme of “The King’s Speech” is having courage to embrace life’s risks and challenges. When circumstances beyond the prince’s control thrust him onto the throne, he embraced his role, moving into extremely uncomfortable situations. 

 

When life delivers unexpected hardships and blows, we turn to many sources for support. Whether family or friends, medical professionals, counselors, pastoral leaders, wherever we find it, help comes through the gifts of others and their willingness to share them.

 

We may think we do not have gifts to share. We may think our lives are too ordinary for them to matter. God has placed a bit of Divinity within each of us. To be transformed, the world needs them all. The challenge may be personal, like the king’s. It may present itself in family situations or at work. It may be political, like the events in Egypt, calling one to join his or her gifts with many others to fight injustice.

 

Whatever the situation is, confidence in our gifts, courage to use them, and willingness to take the risk is our call. Faith in God With Us enables us to answer.