Built On Solid Rock
Would you fight to the death for the law of God and never back down from the words of the godless? These are not just the challenges that early Christians faced, they are very much a part of our lives today. The stories of victory are examples in the lives of holy saints. Be honest with the answer to this question because it is not easy. Is your faith strong enough to help you be a defender of the Church?
1 Timothy 4:12-16 tells us to be examples of love, faith, and purity; mindful of the gift we have with the imposition of hands by our priests. We must attend to ourselves and our teachings, saving not only ourselves, but those who listen when we share these truths. This communication is the perfect pattern for evangelization. So why does this word intimidate us? We must be vocal about our gratitude for the gift of faith, God’s grace and the opportunity for eternal life.
We all have crosses to bear; and usually the little things, when confronted, reveal our sinful nature. Recently, the Church celebrated the Feast of Saint Cornelius, often called the Saint of second chances. He was the Bishop of Rome during the time of the Roman Persecutions. Many Christians renounced the faith to spare facing the fate of the lion’s torturous death. Officials believed that everyone who denied the faith should be out of luck when the persecutions stopped, but the people wanted brought back into the Church. This caused great controversy, so Pope Cornelius convened a synod and argued that through the Sacrament of Penance, all should be able to return. I am certain there were people happy to embrace the opportunity for a blessing from the hands of a priest, and a second chance.
When you accept the challenge of living the message of the Gospels, all things naturally change – the people you associate with; the books you read; the television programs and movies you watch; and suddenly, you find time to help others experience this joy. In Luke’s Gospel chapter 7, Jesus compares that generation of people to children at play, sometimes rejecting whatever games anyone might suggest. I would love to know how Jesus would describe today’s generation of people. But we are reminded that Wisdom is vindicated by all her children. Timothy also implores the Christians he writes to, “behave in the household of God, which is the Church of the Living God, and the pillar and foundation of truth.”
There is a lot of work to do! Ask yourself, where can I begin? Prayer is a good place to start. An American clergyman in the 1890’s, Philip Brooks, wrote, “Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger people! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for power equal to your tasks.” The Diocesan Evangelization Team has been working on goals for many months, developing proposals to present to Bishop Thompson for the people of our diocese. It is a monumental task and one we have taken very seriously to prayer. As an assignment for the “New Evangelization,” I encourage all baptized to reread the statements in their baptismal promises. Baptism is also called “the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit," Find a Catechism of the Catholic Church and read paragraph 1213: “Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit and the door which gives access to all the other Sacraments”.
You are invited, as people of the Diocese of Evansville, to join us in Vincennes on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2013, to renew and celebrate the history of our Diocese with the “Feast of Booths.” There will be many opportunities to share, ask questions, give praise, and be grateful for the gift of our faith. The day begins at 11 a.m. EST with booths representing different ministries of the Church, historic tours, music, food and presenters in a “Catholic 101 Tent,” with keynote speaker Tim Staples from Catholic Answers, to help us all learn more about the pillar of truth and become better defenders of the faith. There will be an outdoor Mass at 4:30 p.m. on the lawn of the George Rogers Clark Memorial, and the day concludes with a 7 p.m. concert at the Red Skelton Theater on the Vincennes University Campus with John Michael Talbot.
Tickets are still available for the concert; please call Zoe Cannon at (812) 882-0444, and check the facebook page for Feast of Booths Vincennes for more information.
We could all use a second chance for renewal, so we welcome everyone to this great event; we pray it will make our generation stronger and our Church as solid as a rock. Amen!
