Thursday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time
Eph 3: 14-21: Luke 12: 49-53
By Deacon Larry Brockman
Something we should all keep in mind is that the Father has named all Families. In other words, He acted as the Father of all the peoples in heaven and on earth; and in so doing, He named, that is, created not just the Americans, but the Chinese, the Arabs, the Europeans, the Indians, and everyone else. They were all made by Him; somewhat differently, indeed; but He made them all what they are for his own glory and praise. And for whatever reason, God has inspired His people in different ways to come to knowledge of Himself. And so, there are different Religious traditions- Hindus, Buddhists, Confucists, Taoists, Jews, Muslims, Christians, and so on. All of these traditions recognize the need for a higher purpose in life than life as we know it; and most of them recognize that there is an architect of life and creation- God. But to you and I, God gave something really special. He has given us a clearer, more direct vision of Himself and our destiny. We have been given the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Gospel, the Resurrection, and the path to Eternal Life. And that, compared to the other traditions, is special.
Now Pope Benedict has declared this year the year of Faith. His reasons are multiple: The secular world has drifted away from God; and the truth, which we hold, is not being spread to all peoples. We have also fallen victim to the idea of live and let live. We hold to an unhealthy, and I might even say, an ungodly extreme of living and let live called pluralism- one in which we look the other way to evil and the devil under the guise that everyone is entitled to their own belief and opinion.
And so, the time has come for us to return to our roots. Our roots are based on Faith- Faith in Jesus Christ, the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Gospel, the Resurrection, and Life Everlasting; and the living of that Faith in such a way that others will see it in action. Our living of Faith should be so compelling that, just as in the early days of Christianity, the secular world will see it and be impressed by it, even when we are persecuted. Our living in Faith should be as zealous as that implied in today’s Gospel by Jesus. Clearly, Jesus was brimming over with excitement to fulfill the will of God and His destiny. Because He knew that He would rock the World with controversy, with truth and the message of everlasting life for all who believe. Jesus was not passive, but passionate and active. And that is what we are called to be as well- zealous, passionate and active for Christ.
How? By lobbying for and voting for people who represent Christian values; by showing our Christian Faith in what we say and do even when it is politically incorrect; by patient and loving tolerance of others, but without compromising our values at the same time. For example, we need to be thankful to God, not just some abstract feeling of thankfulness, at Thanksgiving. And it is Christmas, not the Holidays, that is coming up on our calendars.
In short, it is time for us to be enthusiastic for the Lord in all we do and say so that the rest of the World comes to know the Jesus we know.
