Be The Creation That God Intended
“He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way” (Psalm 25:90).
“When trying to evangelize no tool is more effective than that of a personal witness. People can argue with points of doctrine, but no one can argue with a personal testimony.” –St. Francis Xavier
We received a letter from Very Rev. Denis Robinson, O.S.B., the President and Rector of St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology; a gift to the church, to Indiana and to those seeking to build up the Kingdom of God. The message from Father Denis offered great hope for our stressed church. In the midst of Grand Jury Reports and investigations of criminal abuse, this letter provides a witness of powerful leadership at a time when it is so needed. Father Denis wrote, “Here’s what I believe: The people of God deserve many things from their shepherds. The people of God deserve our time. They deserve our attention. The people of God deserve Church ministers who are people of prayer, who are intelligent, and who are willing to pour out their lives at the altar of this world’s challenges.”
Our world needs people who are good and holy witnesses. The words from Father Denis, Psalm 25, and St. Francis Xavier, the patron saint of missionaries, remind us to be all that God intended and to share our gifts with others. The virtues of humility, wisdom, unconditional love and trust in the Lord are necessary to confidently share Truth and Doctrine. There has never been a time in salvation history when it wasn’t challenging to live out the teachings of Jesus. But we also know the gates of hell shall not prevail against it!
It seems the secular world and the church are both experiencing battles from within. Our society depends on both these entities to accomplish a healthy balance in our lives. The laws and attitudes of immorality in our society are changing rapidly, and decades of silence have allowed Relativism to become acceptable. These principles allow individuals to believe that if it feels good, then it must be all right. We have been taught to be tolerant people, but now traditional values are under attack.
We are blessed in our Universal Church with faithful teachers, catechists, deacons, priests, religious brothers and sisters, and lay ministers, who give so much of themselves to help share the faith and save souls. Yet, catechesis and knowledge of Truth are lacking in the lives of Baptized Catholics. There are so many resources available, but few take advantage of the opportunity to discover the richness of the faith. I attended Catholic School for twelve years and graduated with very little understanding of Scripture, or knowledge of how to defend my faith. While facilitating Adult Formation classes, I hear Catholics voice concern about their inability to understand or share what we profess and believe. This is especially true among young parents with children. In Proverbs, we read: “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge.” Our church needs informed disciples!
Father Denis said, “I hope to create ambassadors of Christ who never fail and never falter because they are convinced that the good of the world centers on the work that they do.” Is your personal witness effective in God’s eyes? Christ is counting on all of us to embrace the fullness of faith, through our own efforts, or with guidance from those ordained and prepared to teach us His ways! Wonderful things will happen in our faithfulness to prayer, and desire to learn, as we become the creation that God intended us to be. Please continue to pray for the seminarians and lay people of God, who are in formation at St. Meinrad and Bishop Brute Seminary in Indianapolis. Our hope is in the Lord! Amen!
