Lectionary: 684
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
On the last day of November, with Advent soon to begin -- or in some years, having already arrived -- we celebrate the Apostle Andrew. The year begins with the Advent of Jesus and ends with the call of an apostle.
Our reading from Saint Paul's letter to the Romans reminds us of the privilege, pleasure and duty of every Christian to announce the Good News of Jesus. We must confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts. One who confesses with his mouth is saved.
When I was a child, missionary work was the work of priests, brothers and sisters who went to foreign countries. The surprises of the Second Vatican Council included the announcement that everyone is called to evangelize. Those who fail to inspire others by their way of life fail -- period. It's not enough to avoid mortal sin, stay out of trouble and pay whatever taxes the government can wrest from you.
If it seems that we Catholics have been slow to recognize this duty, we can be reassured by the history of the Church. After the first fervor of the earliest centuries when dying martyrs inspired mass conversions, mission work seemed less important than the vital tasks of developing our religion and rebuilding a civil society in a lawless world.
The crusades were billed as missionary actions. Muslims would be converted by the sword. The natives of the western hemisphere would suffer that misguided fervor.
Bishop Moorman, in his history of the Franciscan Order, tells how the friars tired of collecting funds from disinterested Europeans to support endless crusades. The war between Europe and Africa seemed to go nowhere. The friars, drawing inspiration from the Rule of Saint Francis, suggested missionaries should "live among the Saracens" and win them by their quiet, pious life. Although a slower approach, it might be more effective in the long run. It required only that Christians actually practice what they preach.
Since the Second Vatican Council we have come to appreciate far more about individual dignity and respect for the right of every individual to worship God according to his own lights. We recognize the evil we suspect in unbelievers lies more often in our own hearts. Encounter and dialogue with enemies leads to a deeper conversion of one's own heart -- and the edification of strangers.
Pope Paul VI, in his encyclical Evangelii Nuntiandi, urged all Christians to understand and take up the duty of evangelization. He reminded us that our testimony must be corroborated by our manner:
Pope Francis, in his own straight-forward manner, calls proselytizing, "pious nonsense." If our kindness, compassion and generosity do not persuade people, our words certainly won't.
Advent is upon us. Let us hear once again the song of the angels and the response of Virgin. We will rush with the shepherds to see the Child, and then we'll tell everyone what we have seen and heard.
On the last day of November, with Advent soon to begin -- or in some years, having already arrived -- we celebrate the Apostle Andrew. The year begins with the Advent of Jesus and ends with the call of an apostle.
Our reading from Saint Paul's letter to the Romans reminds us of the privilege, pleasure and duty of every Christian to announce the Good News of Jesus. We must confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts. One who confesses with his mouth is saved.
When I was a child, missionary work was the work of priests, brothers and sisters who went to foreign countries. The surprises of the Second Vatican Council included the announcement that everyone is called to evangelize. Those who fail to inspire others by their way of life fail -- period. It's not enough to avoid mortal sin, stay out of trouble and pay whatever taxes the government can wrest from you.
The crusades were billed as missionary actions. Muslims would be converted by the sword. The natives of the western hemisphere would suffer that misguided fervor.
Bishop Moorman, in his history of the Franciscan Order, tells how the friars tired of collecting funds from disinterested Europeans to support endless crusades. The war between Europe and Africa seemed to go nowhere. The friars, drawing inspiration from the Rule of Saint Francis, suggested missionaries should "live among the Saracens" and win them by their quiet, pious life. Although a slower approach, it might be more effective in the long run. It required only that Christians actually practice what they preach.
Since the Second Vatican Council we have come to appreciate far more about individual dignity and respect for the right of every individual to worship God according to his own lights. We recognize the evil we suspect in unbelievers lies more often in our own hearts. Encounter and dialogue with enemies leads to a deeper conversion of one's own heart -- and the edification of strangers.
Pope Paul VI, in his encyclical Evangelii Nuntiandi, urged all Christians to understand and take up the duty of evangelization. He reminded us that our testimony must be corroborated by our manner:
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| Father Simon is ready to attend the Province Assembly 2013 |
The world calls for and expects from us simplicity of life, the spirit of prayer, charity towards all, especially towards the lowly and the poor, obedience and humility, detachment and self-sacrifice. Without this mark of holiness, our word will have difficulty in touching the heart of modern man. It risks being vain and sterile.
Pope Francis, in his own straight-forward manner, calls proselytizing, "pious nonsense." If our kindness, compassion and generosity do not persuade people, our words certainly won't.
Advent is upon us. Let us hear once again the song of the angels and the response of Virgin. We will rush with the shepherds to see the Child, and then we'll tell everyone what we have seen and heard.
All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.