If we want to transform the world we must be willing to take our faith to heart. Our faith in Christ cannot just remain words which are found to be without meaning, but instead this faith must seep into our very heart thus transforming us into becoming true disciples of the Lord. At Mass we are given the invitation to go in peace from this Church thus taking with us the Eucharist that we have received into the world. We therefore cannot live a double life where Church and God dwells here, but outside of these walls we give into immoral actions that always cause scandal to our faith. How can we draw souls be they family, friends, or just random people into the life of faith if we in return have divorced our daily life from Christ who is present with us in the Eucharist?
Christ sent out His apostles to speak a message of repentance to those whom they encountered. It was their mission to be sent forth from the presence of Christ and in return to draw other souls to encounter this same life giving love. It would have been an impossibility to preach this message of repentance if they did not first come to accept this same message of repentance into their own life. We also realize that they were not sent forth to force people into the life of faith, but instead to invite them into the life of faith. If they were rejected they were not to lose hope and throw a fit, but instead they were to leave and shake the dust off their feet in testimony against them. Some will not want to prevail themselves to the message of faith at this moment, but the least that we can do is pray for them and maybe through our interaction with them we have planted a small seed that in time will grow into a large tree.
I think each of us should ask what ways we have failed to draw souls to encounter Christ. We should question what ways we have failed to heed to the same message of repentance that we have received from Christ to bring out into the world. We should imagine what ways the scandal that we have caused have led other souls into the occasion of sin and thus have pushed these souls away from ever coming to know Christ and to give themselves entirely to Him and to His Church. Without complete faith and trust in Christ the apostles could of worked no great works among the people, but instead they allowed Christ to be the one who would work through them to assist others in coming to know the presence of Christ and the wonders contained in His infinite mercy.
One cartoon that I see from time to time points towards the truth of the public scandal that we can cause. In it the priest is hearing a confession of one of the faithful who is kneeling in the Confessional. The penitent gives the usual introduction: "Father forgive me for I have sinned." The priest sitting on the other side of the divider is found looking at the person's Facebook account and responds: "I already know." To think of all the people who may have encountered such posts. I would say that what they saw did not take them to Christ nor to the message of repentance that the apostles were asked to take into the world. How often do we partake in gossip, the use of offensive langue; especially the taking of the Lord's name in vain, dressing immodestly, drinking to excess, and partaking in jokes that are crude in humor. These actions not only effect us, but they effect all those who surround us, and detract us from leading all souls to encounter the greatest joy that can be found; the joy of loving and serving Christ.
May we be sent out from this Church to become true witnesses to what we have discovered here. May we realize that Christ dwells with us, He desires that we receive Him into our life, and He desires that we be sent out into the world to win as many souls as possible for His Most Holy Name. May our heart be set on fire with love for Christ. May this fire be so great that nothing will get in the way of our relationship with Christ thus drawing with us other souls to this great font of love. Christ does not only belong here is this place, but we, like the apostles, must be willing to bring Him into the world by the way we live out our life. May we become the light that shines to the world which is the great love of Christ and thus in return make nothing but Him and His Most Holy Name manifest to the world.
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