The Faithful Witness
“Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter: he who finds one has found a treasure. Faithful friends are beyond price; no amount can balance their worth. Faithful friends are life-saving remedies; and those who fear the Lord will find them”( Sirach 6:14-16).
God has given us the gift of family to enlighten our hearts and minds, so that we may live out our call to love one another. Every person must be nurtured with basic needs to be healthy and safe, but providing spiritual knowledge is also invaluable and life saving.
We first experience love through the protective hearts of our parents. Our first true friendship might be found in a sibling who shares our secrets and memories. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins who contribute to our family also provide life experiences for us. Each newborn enters the world with different circumstances; still each life is an irreplaceable gift from God.
Today, we have the ability to communicate in an instant, but relationships suffer when we do not take the time to share personal thoughts face to face. The values expressed in our society are quite different than the love God plans for us. Our social media “friend list” is not a valid measure of what is important in life, yet we spend hours reading our news feed and posted conversations. Is there a better way for us to be connected as friends? And how can we help our family and friends recognize the “awe” and greatness of God the Father?
There are resources regarding catechesis and evangelization to help us share what we believe as members of the Catholic Church. To have a personal relationship with Jesus, you need only help others see Jesus in you....this is evangelization!
There was a tragic event at a synagogue in Pittsburgh recently, where 11 people were killed by gunfire during a prayer service. The injured gunman was taken to a local hospital, and the attending physician who treated him was a member of the “Tree of Life Synagogue” where the innocent lives were taken. Dr. Jeff Cohen, President of Allegheny General Hospital had this to say about treating the shooter: “I went up to meet him, and I was curious as to ‘who is this guy?’ And quite honestly, he’s just a guy. And he’s ...people say that he’s evil, he’s this...he’s some mother’s son. And how did he get from that to where he is today? That’s going to be a large debate that we have to wrestle with as a society.”
Faithful friends, people are in great need of a sturdy shelter, and we are called to remedy this with our witness of God’s love. There is a worldwide population of 7.3 billion people and nearly 3.8 billion have access to the Internet via mobile device. The opportunity for people to communicate is not the problem, but the information we choose to share or view can make a difference. “You will be my witnesses.” Acts 1:8 The teachings that Jesus shared with his followers are critical for the culture we live in today. You may never know how your life influences another, but you can be certain that someone is watching. Keep soldiering for Christ, and may others see Jesus in you! Don’t be overwhelmed by the billions of people on earth, begin as a faithful witness to the family treasure that God created for you. Amen!
