Luke 17: 5-10 Be Not Ashamed
Is there anything more disgusting than a glass of lukewarm water? Yes, there is: a lukewarm Catholic!
“The rash one has no integrity; but the just one, because of his faith, shall live.” (Hab 2:4) A long time ago, someone once told me that if I do not stand up for something, then I will fall for everything! Our life was not meant to be lived as a doormat. No one in Sacred Scripture lived the life of a doormat. Neither Mary, nor any of the Apostles lived a life in which they allowed themselves to be stepped on, trampled upon and kicked all over. A few days ago I commented that the worst thing that could happen to someone was not that they died, but that they died for the wrong reason! The Holy Father, Benedict XVI, prior to leaving England, gave a speech in front of the Prime Minister, the English Parliament, the Queen of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury and distinguished guests representing the various religions around the world, in the same hall in Westminster Abbey where St. Thomas More was found guilty of high treason. Who would have imagined that the Vicar of Christ, the Pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, would speak to so many former enemies in such a place! And receive applause! Of course there were some who wished to arrest the Pope. Some people never change, but times do change because of those who left their mark by standing up and dying for what was right, good and holy. The rash one has no integrity because he is like a house built on sand, when the tough times hit – when the storms fall upon us – the one with no integrity, no foundation, no faith, will fall apart. Christians in the United Kingdom are standing up and stepping back against discrimination because of their faith whether at school or at work, by stating loud and clear that they are “Not Ashamed” to be Christian. It is amazing what an old man, from another country, representing the most hated but largest Christian denomination in the world, can do in just a few days in a country that claims to be highly secular. This is only the beginning of a revolution in England. The organizers of the campaign wish to “express our confidence that Jesus Christ is good news not just for individuals or for the church, but for our nation as a whole. He is the only true hope of our society.”
“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” The only one who could honestly say this, is the Son who gave us his Father. His heart is made of flesh and blood. It is life giving, life saving and life sharing. Only a man of God can give what does not belong to another: His life. Beloved: I remind you, to stir into flame the gift that God gave to you. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. Do not be ashamed but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God. A spirit of power, of love and self-control…a flame burning in your hearts! These words are not of a lukewarm spirit but of a spirit filled with the WORD.
Let us awaken, re-kindle, the love that God has for all mankind with power (energy), love (dedication) and self-control (dignity, honor and valor). I recently went to a middle school volleyball game and cheered on the students of my new school. I was pounding on the bleachers to the surprise of the parents, shouting out and encouraging our kids to play tough. A young team player from the opposing team hit the ball twice towards me. The first time it happened, I thought nothing of it. The second time it happened I gave her a blessing. Everyone laughed! At the end of the game, someone came up to me and told me she was Baptist! I made my presence felt. We beat them in two sets. If we can show such enthusiasm in games, we must do the same for Christ. Do not be ashamed!
Father,
ReplyDeleteYour homily this morning was powerful. I have never heard a priest speak so boldly in a homily, with the exception of maybe Fr. Corapi, which puts you in good company. Thank you for not being ashamed to speak the truth loud and clear when it is likely to come up against criticism. You are a true Apostle!
“Beloved: I remind you, to stir into flame the gift that God gave to you. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. Do not be ashamed but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God. A spirit of power, of love and self-control…a flame burning in your hearts! These words are not of a lukewarm spirit but of a spirit filled with the WORD.”
ReplyDeleteI grew up in the Bible belt knowing nothing about my Catholic faith. I was ridiculed, ignored, excluded and told I was going to hell because I wasn’t saved because I wasn’t a Christian. I was confused because at church they said we were Christians but the Baptist said we weren’t.
I never tried to defend the Church because I didn’t know anything and I was afraid they might be right. From what I could see, they were all about fellowship and we didn’t have that. We went to church once a week and never spoke about it, like it was a secret that we were ashamed of.
At the point when I was thinking about becoming one of ‘them’ in my 20’s, I decided to learn about the Church before I left and thank God I did! I spent 2 decades learning about her. There is so much information; I wanted to know it all before I could share it. So I didn’t say anything about it for at least 20 years. I was afraid of being wrong. But that’s the crazy part because the answers are there, the fullness of truth is there and we don’t have to think or make anything up. It’s at our fingertips, especially now with the internet.
The only other thing we need is the courage to speak up, stand up and defend the faith.
I have to say from personal experience that most of ‘them’ will back down as soon as you give them any answer because they have never met a Catholic that knew their faith and shared it. When I get a rebuttal, I refuse to be on the defense. I’ve gone around and around trying to defend all their ‘big’ issues with the Church and got nowhere! I start with the Eucharist. I ask them to read John chapter 6 in their own Bible and to get back with me. Yes, they may choose not to believe what they are reading, but they may think about it and start to question their beliefs and ask more questions. If they are not open to the truth about what they’ve read, I will never get anywhere with all their ‘issues’ about the Church anyway and I’d be wasting my time!
When I’m dealing with an ignorant Catholic that has not bailed for a Bible alone church, I also start with the Eucharist, but I leave the Bible part out AT FIRST because most of them don’t even know we read the Bible and they don’t give the Bible much weight.
When I share about the Eucharist I don’t say ‘we believe’. I say the Eucharist IS the Body of Christ because merely believing something doesn’t make it true!
I don’t want to sound like I think I know it all, but I’ve spent months and pages and pages of ‘proof’ with people who are not even open to the truth, they want to prove they are right and usually are trying to convert me and that is NOT POSSIBLE!!!!!