Keep Your Eyes On Heaven!
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1.
What about our words? The truth is, without action, the words we speak can be meaningless. The powerful voice of God created all things into being and nothing he created is bad. This is the refrain throughout the creation story: “and God saw that it was good.” The devil does not want anyone to believe in God’s power. God calls each one of us for a specific purpose in his plan of creation. Are you listening?
We tend to be a little more attentive during the Lenten and Easter Season, especially during Holy Week. We are reminded in word and deed of the real love God has for us with the passion, death and resurrection of his Son, our salvation. What is our response? We often hear the words forgiveness and renewal during this time of the year. But the one small word we seem to avoid is the biggest obstacle of all in our listening to the Word of God, and that is sin.
We often find it difficult to evangelize about the teachings of the Church because we feel that we are ill-equipped. We rationalize that we are not culpable for our sinfulness because we lack knowledge. No excuse. There is plenty of information available, especially in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. In Part three - Life in Christ, Section One, you will find all the necessary information about sin. You will notice that the article is titled: Mercy and Sin (ccc1848). As St. Paul affirms, “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” But to do its work grace must uncover sin so as to convert our hearts and bestow on us “righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ.” If reading this material becomes challenging, you can always ask a priest for answers. It is a perfect plan, because a priest can also hear your confession and absolve your sins.
There are many scripture stories that remind us why we should be concerned about sin. The Book of Daniel tells a story of a beautiful woman named Susanna. She is falsely accused of adultery by two men who made advances toward her and were rejected. Daniel confronts the accusers and exposes their lie, which prevents Susanna from being condemned to death. Daniel says of the guilty; “They suppressed their consciences; they would not allow their eyes to look to heaven, and did not keep in mind just judgments.” (Daniel 13:9). These same actions are the source that brings sin into our own lives. We distance ourselves from the very source of conscience, God himself. Scripture tells us that we will indeed one day have to answer to God for all that we have done.
We are blessed to have great resources and the gift of grace in the Sacraments. The most incredible is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Eucharist. Attending the morning Masses last week, I observed a young man, Andrew Thomas, who was home from college on spring break. He arrived early and stayed after Mass each morning. He prayed the rosary and read from the Liturgy of the Hours. His demeanor was prayerful and sincere. I recognized these same qualities in him at our youth group gatherings when he was in high school, and mentioned that I thought he had the gifts to make a great priest. He is now a student at Bishop Simon Bruté Seminary in Indianapolis, not because I suggested it, but to determine where God is calling him in life. This is a long, prayerful process, but when our eyes are looking toward heaven, it is much easier to hear God and answer him.
The availability of healthy, active priests in our diocese is dwindling. We should be concerned about the number of young, brave men who are listening to God’s call to the priesthood. Our words, our encouragement and our prayers are important in building vocations to priesthood and religious life. The family home is our first church experience. The loving environment of a Catholic home is the place where vocations should be discussed openly with words of encouragement and information. After all, the witness of a happy marriage and family is a vocation. What about the words we share? There is omission on our part if we fail to see the importance of this responsibility. In a world where there is always going to be sin, we need grace to abound all the more. The ordained hands of a priest guide us to God’s grace and remove the obstacles that keep us from God. The Church instituted by Jesus Christ is counting on all of us. Your word is important. Amen!
