SATURDAY HOMILY: All of us are called to win souls for the Kingdom
All of us-priests, deacons, laity and religious-must make a sincere effort in this Year of Faith to deepen our friendship with Christ as well as our knowledge of the content of the faith so that we may more effectively share this inestimable treasure with everyone we meet.
PrintLONG BEACH, CA (Catholic Online) What on earth are you doing? What are you doing to share the faith with others? The average Catholic would probably answer, "Not much," if he is doing anything at all. This is because, sadly, the question about what we are doing to spread the saving message of the Gospel is not the burning question it should be. For most practicing Catholics their "practice" consists of Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, perhaps Confession during Lent and Advent, some personal prayers and a daily striving to live according to the Commandments. And that's it. Don't get me wrong. All of this is good, but it is not enough.
I am very often edified by the zeal that I see in the Evangelical Protestant Christians I know. They are on a mission to win souls. Catholics don't usually think in those categories but we should. We possess the fullness of the faith and yet, for many of us-priests as well as laity-we are just sitting on it. Listen to what St. Paul writes to the Ephesians in today's first reading: "Hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus and of your love for all the holy ones, I do not cease giving thanks for you ." My hunch is that St. Paul would not be anywhere near as pleased with us and our laid back, ho-hum attitude toward sharing the faith as he was with those first Catholics in Ephesus. In fact, if he were here today, we would very likely hear from his lips words of stern rebuke.
This general lack of awareness of our mission as Catholics to "win souls" is one of the reasons why Pope Benedict has called for a Year of Faith. The Holy Father wants to raise the spiritual temperature of all Catholics. He wants to allow ourselves to be set on fire to proclaim with a joyous and infectious enthusiasm that Jesus Christ alone is the Savior, that He alone is the answer to the longings of the human heart, and that He is to be found in the fullness of His splendor in His Holy Catholic Church.
The Holy Father wants to make sure that we know that sharing the faith is not an option for us; we have a mandate. Over these many months we have heard much about the unjust "HHS" mandate (i.e., the "contraceptive mandate" of Obama Care which we must oppose through every legitimate means, including by voting with a Catholic conscience on November 6). But there is a mandate from an infinitely higher authority which I call the "IHS" mandate. "IHS" is an ancient Greek monogram for the Holy Name of Jesus. The "IHS" mandate is the "Jesus mandate," the command He has given to all of us to make the Gospel known to everyone. Without pointing the figure of blame at any one group or individual, religious freedom (given to us by God and guaranteed by the Constitution) is under attack by our government because we have failed to fulfill the "Jesus mandate." Many of the people in government who have wittingly or unwittingly placed themselves in opposition to the Church are Catholics! Indeed, the government official who promulgated the controversial HHS "contraceptive mandate" claims to be Catholic!
Jesus gives us a promise and a warning in today's Gospel: "I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God." These very serious words of our Lord apply to everyone in the Church: to the pastors, to the lay faithful and to men and women religious.
Bishops, priests and deacons must make every effort to promote the Year of Faith among the faithful and to help them become active participants in it. In our times, God in His goodness has raised up very holy men to the Chair of St. Peter. All of the modern popes-Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I and John Paul II-are either Servants of God, Venerables or Blesseds. Our present Holy Father-also known for his great personal sanctity-like his predecessors, has given to the Church in the seven years of his amazing pontificate an immense legacy of magisterial teaching and pastoral initiatives. Unfortunately, too many priests have been less than eager to communicate these teachings and initiatives to the people they serve and as a result their impact has not been often felt. The year I was ordained a priest (1983) was a "Holy Year of Redemption," but did I know about it? It pains me to say that I heard nothing about this in seminary classes or in homilies. I can honestly say that all these years later I still feel I was deprived of a great blessing. Of course, this was before the internet, Catholic radio and EWTN and perhaps today there is less of an excuse for not being aware of such things. Nevertheless, it remains the solemn duty of the Church's clergy, as an expression of their communion with the Holy Father, to energetically promote initiatives such as the Year of Faith. This they must do by way of their preaching, teaching, counseling and other ...
I am very often edified by the zeal that I see in the Evangelical Protestant Christians I know. They are on a mission to win souls. Catholics don't usually think in those categories but we should. We possess the fullness of the faith and yet, for many of us-priests as well as laity-we are just sitting on it. Listen to what St. Paul writes to the Ephesians in today's first reading: "Hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus and of your love for all the holy ones, I do not cease giving thanks for you ." My hunch is that St. Paul would not be anywhere near as pleased with us and our laid back, ho-hum attitude toward sharing the faith as he was with those first Catholics in Ephesus. In fact, if he were here today, we would very likely hear from his lips words of stern rebuke.
This general lack of awareness of our mission as Catholics to "win souls" is one of the reasons why Pope Benedict has called for a Year of Faith. The Holy Father wants to raise the spiritual temperature of all Catholics. He wants to allow ourselves to be set on fire to proclaim with a joyous and infectious enthusiasm that Jesus Christ alone is the Savior, that He alone is the answer to the longings of the human heart, and that He is to be found in the fullness of His splendor in His Holy Catholic Church.
The Holy Father wants to make sure that we know that sharing the faith is not an option for us; we have a mandate. Over these many months we have heard much about the unjust "HHS" mandate (i.e., the "contraceptive mandate" of Obama Care which we must oppose through every legitimate means, including by voting with a Catholic conscience on November 6). But there is a mandate from an infinitely higher authority which I call the "IHS" mandate. "IHS" is an ancient Greek monogram for the Holy Name of Jesus. The "IHS" mandate is the "Jesus mandate," the command He has given to all of us to make the Gospel known to everyone. Without pointing the figure of blame at any one group or individual, religious freedom (given to us by God and guaranteed by the Constitution) is under attack by our government because we have failed to fulfill the "Jesus mandate." Many of the people in government who have wittingly or unwittingly placed themselves in opposition to the Church are Catholics! Indeed, the government official who promulgated the controversial HHS "contraceptive mandate" claims to be Catholic!
Jesus gives us a promise and a warning in today's Gospel: "I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God." These very serious words of our Lord apply to everyone in the Church: to the pastors, to the lay faithful and to men and women religious.
Bishops, priests and deacons must make every effort to promote the Year of Faith among the faithful and to help them become active participants in it. In our times, God in His goodness has raised up very holy men to the Chair of St. Peter. All of the modern popes-Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I and John Paul II-are either Servants of God, Venerables or Blesseds. Our present Holy Father-also known for his great personal sanctity-like his predecessors, has given to the Church in the seven years of his amazing pontificate an immense legacy of magisterial teaching and pastoral initiatives. Unfortunately, too many priests have been less than eager to communicate these teachings and initiatives to the people they serve and as a result their impact has not been often felt. The year I was ordained a priest (1983) was a "Holy Year of Redemption," but did I know about it? It pains me to say that I heard nothing about this in seminary classes or in homilies. I can honestly say that all these years later I still feel I was deprived of a great blessing. Of course, this was before the internet, Catholic radio and EWTN and perhaps today there is less of an excuse for not being aware of such things. Nevertheless, it remains the solemn duty of the Church's clergy, as an expression of their communion with the Holy Father, to energetically promote initiatives such as the Year of Faith. This they must do by way of their preaching, teaching, counseling and other ...
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To whom it may concern,
Shall I post a picture of a fig tree? Or shall I post the picture of the same fig tree years earlier? Maybe, the idea of realizing the goodness of doing what is right can bring forth the blossom of life. Should a person find a forgotten tree upon the Earth, realize the tree is living too! And needs love, for the love one brings to the tree, not only produces life through its first fruits, but brings oxygen for the breath (paranayama). Miracles of life happen everyday. One can open the door and see many miracles.
I did not write to agree with the author or disagree. I simply wonder like a lost sheep, among the multitude of millions, if not billions and know change comes throughout our examples. Here is one in today's age:
Traffic is abundant. In the city, the lights change and tell us where to go, use caution, and stop. The speed limit is not enough for those who live in a certain area, but what if one should not know the streets, the limit, or the people. Better yet, what if one's car should not be working properly. Should we honk our horn and flip them a peace sign, as we know the lane or unpaved road we are on, yet reminding someone of their unpleasing situation of being broke down or within a lesser vehicle.
Often, is the hurry of going somewhere, worth the effort of leaving someone behind who we don't know in the middle of a lane? We can see the car is broke down; the apparent cause of the traffic. Yet, who controls the lights? People within a grid. Better yet, how long will your heart beat within your righteous or unrighteous actions? Rest assured, those whom one has helped along the way will feel the joy of doing what is right to keep peace. Those who pass will hurry themselves to a nightly rest.
Yet, notice even trees speak among the setting of the city or town, for even the trees know the gift of help and the value of life. We are caretakers of the place we inhabit known as Earth. For even one great Native American chief noticed this honor many years ago. I've read the bumper sticker on a car at a stop light. Chief Seattle made a great realization stating, "The Earth does not belong to us. We belong to the Earth." Share unconditional love with one another, as one might share the value of life within the goodness of one's actions. Peace be within one's actions to know help is on the way. Time for some rest!
Clear and helpful.
Truthful, well written words.
My mom who has been in heaven for a long time was the perfect witness to the faith and Christianity.She did not always use words and did not have eloquent speaking voice but won souls by how she lived her life. She did not drive but was active in her church, sang in the choir and participated in church functions. My point is that the outward profession of faith such as receiving the sacraments are important, but in her daily life she took the gospel message and used it to do Christ work on earth. She would knit caps and blankets for newborns. She would light up anytime she held a baby. If a neighbor was sick or their was a death in the family she would bake something so the family would not have to cook.She read her bible and used its teaching and the teaching of the church in every part of her life. She studied her faith, proclaimed her faith and used her faith in every part of her life and that is the key. Every part of our lives the Lord is King.
A beautiful well written article. Something to consider, in an age that seems to have many in western societies seeing anything 'eastern' as somehow being esoteric, mystical, exotic: some very zealous Catholics in Asian lands come from, for example, Buddhist upbringings. In some cases, one or two from the family converts to Catholicism, even when their own fathers were Buddhist priests. (in some places, Buddhist priests can marry depending on the particular school of thought so to speak) Many Catholics in the west, presently, seem unaware of the rich mystical and contemplative tradition right inside the Catholic Church. It might simply be a question of the grass seeming to be greener on the other side of the fence. There are some new Catholics in Asia who simply can not understand why the Churches in North America and western Europe are often not as full as they once were. It is interesting that the Catholic Church and Catholic schools often take a beating in western societies and yet in parts of Asia? Many with so called royal blood in their veins (political royal blood) and political elites (in their own minds) send their children where? To Catholic schools. Just a little dosage of reality for the lost liberal loons in loon lands scattered here and there in western societies. Of course, these comments will ruffle a few feathers. Well, Socrates ruffled some feathers as well. Jesus aggravated the Pharisees. And the Dalai Lama isn't so popular with some in Asia either, is he? Why? Political power and control rarely enjoys being planted, this is one reason among many. Bravo to Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, and priests who shake up the herd every now and again. The wolves would have eaten all the cattle and sheep long ago, if they didn't. And the false secular gurus would be flying over the pasture in hot air balloons wearing leather jackets with interior sheep white lining, throwing down more meat to the wolves. There might even be operating manuals thrown down by these secular sophists instructing the wolves on how to disengage the electric fence!
Paul-Emile Leray