Isaiah 6: 1-2, 3-8, 1 Cor. 15: 1-11, Lk. 5: 1-11
1. The last words of our Lord on earth were directed to the Apostles. They pretty much made up the whole of the Church. He told them, “Go make disciples of all nations, Baptize them and teach them to observe all that I commanded. And know that I will be with you to the end of the age”. This was the call to EVANGELIZE. Today, Evangelization is on the mind of the Church as we are called to TRUST in God as He asks us to ‘Put out into the deep”.
2. Do you ever stop to think about how it is going? Where did your faith come from? Are you passing it on? First hand, I would say my faith came from my parents, the Dominican Nuns and priests here at Bless. Sac., priests and teachers at Heelan, my Franciscan Education at Briar Cliff. ‘Fear of the Lord’ came from my Wife.
From a historical perspective, I go to the evangelization of the Slavic People. (Move over Irish and St. Patrick). For ST. ANDREW the Apostle, was the first to speak to the Kievan Rus (that is the Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian) people. Legend has it that when he reached the future location of Kiev, he planted a big cross and foretold of a great Christian city to come. Today on that site stands the Cathedral of St. Andrew.
Russia is about 65% Russian Orthodox and about 6% Roman Catholic. My dad, was actually baptized in the Russian Orthodox church here in Sioux City. To this day, I remember going to one Easter Vigil liturgy and hearing the GOSPODI POMILUI ( or Lord have mercy) chant.
3 . Everywhere, there is a history of Evangelization since Jesus commissioned the disciples. Each of the Apostles and St. Paul led the effort to Christianize the world. One GREAT PERIOD of Evangelization came in the Americas. The efforts of many missionaries and the Appearance of Mary as Our Lady of Guadalupe, has made close 50% of all people in this western hemisphere Roman Catholic. 3 of the top 4 countries in the world for catholic population are in the Western Hemisphere. Brazil, Mexico and the United States are 1-2-4. Over all, Europe runs about 26% catholic, Africa 13%, Asia 11% and the middle east at .25%. World wide it runs about 17%. I wonder if God or even the church is Happy with what has been accomplished?
5. That God has always asked MAN TO SPEAK the truth to others, has deep roots. In today’s 1st reading, we have a brief but graphic description of Isaiah’s encounter with the Holy God of Israel. He SAW God in a vision seated on a lofty throne in the Temple of Jerusalem. He HEARD God, asking for one who would speak in his name to his chosen but unfaithful people. THEN and THERE Isaiah volunteered. ‘HERE I AM LORD, SEND ME’.
6. If St. Paul, the great Apostle, found it necessary to recall to the minds of his Corinthian converts the basic doctrines of the faith, that he had worked so HARD to teach 5 years earlier, it is very FITTING that we too should meditate on the same basic doctrines today. We to have many difficulties that make living a Christian life hard. The first Christians of Corinth, were a small group, living in the midst of pagan neighbors who gave little thought for the future. And then, only RIDICULE for those they thought FOOLISH, because they would forego pleasures and comforts in life for the sake of something they expected after death.
7. We tend to 2ND GUESS our involvement in the mission to evangelize. Jesus could have chosen from many highly educated priests and scribes. Yet he really judged and chose people with a VIEW OF the HEART…those willing to “put out into the deep”. So Jesus, who was about to set up a WORLD-WIDE institute and an EVERLASTING one, chose at first simple fishermen. Making them his assistants and successors in the work He started and WILL bring to completion.
8. As you have heard many times in the last few months, we are in what Pope Benedict has titled as the ‘Year of FAITH”. The church is hoping to STRENGTHEN the gift of FAITH that we each received at our Baptism. The church sees VAST and PROFOUND changes taking place as mankind moves toward SECULARISM and IMMORALITY. The Church has an obligation to address the twisted thinking and problems in each age. In strengthening our faith, the church is laying the foundation for a ‘NEW EVANGELIZATION’. People will hear the SAME TRUTHS of Christ, but with a new ARDOR by using new METHODS and EXPRESSIONS of the faith.
9. How do we HELP the world understand, that by aborting 2 BILLION plus babies in the last 40 years, we are destroying civilization? How do we CLUE people in, that God’s plan for a STABLE SOCIETY comes through Marriage. That society will always flounder, when Marriage is under mined by living together before marriage, with unfaithfulness and divorce, with broken families, and sexually transmitted diseases. How do we PRESENT the BEAUTY of Natural Family Planning to married couples. Using NFP is the best example of how a married couple can mirror the love Christ had for His church. How can we EXPLAIN to this generation, that the sexual act is only valid for a man and woman in marriage. How do we INSTILL self control to help people avoid all addictions especially to alcohol, drugs, and pornography. It can start right here, as we RELAY the importance to Catholics whose faith is in a weakened condition, that keeping the Sabbath Holy means we are obligated to go to Mass on Sunday and that reception of the Sacraments is vital to accomplishing Jesus work on earth.
We need a STRONG, VIBRANT Catholic Church. Each baptized person must grow in FAITH and then answer the call to evangelize in TRUTH and in CHARITY. Making evangelization a NORMAL part of our Catholic life. In this year of Faith, did you grow in Advent? Did your faith become stronger this Christmas season? No matter what, Lent begins next week.
With a WORLD in need of evangelization, as a member of the church; What are you going to do about it? God is searching for SOMEBODY to send. Like Isaiah, do we hear ANY ‘here I am’s’. Like Paul, how HARD are you willing to work on behalf of the Gospel. And like Peter and the Apostles, are you be WILLING ‘to put out into the deep’.
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