We are each called upon to assist each other with great charity to stay upon the path that leads towards Heaven. So often we fear about giving offense to another due to the faith that we have; be it a spouse, a child, a friend, a neighbor, a coworker, or somebody that we encounter in passing. Nevertheless, our Gospel instructs us that we must care for all these people and thus be concerned with helping to lead them towards Heaven. This concern should strike fear in our hearts because this concern should be held as being most serious. It is so easy to look the other way and be accepting of another's sins, but indeed it is a lot tougher to walk with them as an assisting hand which leads towards the Heavenly Kingdom. To be this assisting hand is most tough because it requires work on our part, it requires us to truly live out the virtue of charity, it requires us to embrace the conversion that we are also in need of, and it requires trust in God that His will shall be accomplished in all things.
The Sacraments place us upon a path that leads towards God. Faithfully living out the Sacraments will keep us firmly grounded upon this path, but so often we lose trust in them and thus fall entirely away from this path. We cannot allow ourself to forget, even for a moment, that Holy Matrimony is a Sacrament. The path that two enter into within this Sacrament is not to lead them into enslavement to their passions or the abuse of the other, but instead it is to assist them in truly living and thus keeping them firmly grounded upon the path that leads towards Heaven. It is the role of the husband and wife to communicate with each other especially at those moments of sin where we cannot allow ourself to look the other way or even to participate in the sinful activities of the spouse. When we are participating or ignoring this reality we are not faithfully living out the vocation that we have responded to by our life.
The starting foundation for our life of faith was begun in us at the moment of baptism. In most cases it is babies who are brought to the Church and are baptized. This is a most important moment for parents and godparents to remember because after all the child cannot answer for themselves. They are not just bringing a child to have water poured on their head as some ritualistic action that is only family tradition. This is a most serious action that takes place, especially for parents and godparents, because they say "yes" to God through their responses. It is their desire to be an example of the faith that will help to lead their children along the path that leads towards Heaven. Out of love for God and for your children you promise to bring your children to Mass every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation, you promise that your children will receive the other sacraments of initiation, and you promise to teach your children about the faith. Out of love for God and them we cannot ignore these responsibilities, but take them seriously.
Through the course of the day we encounter so many people. We encounter those who we work with, are friends with, and people who we will never get the opportunity to know. Despite how much we know somebody or don't know them; we must remember that all of them have been created out of love in the image and the likeness of God and therefore should live as if they are oriented towards Heaven. In the workplace we should find ways to avoid situations that lead to gossip, the putting down of another, or the use of crude language. None of these give aid in our spread of the faith to those whom we meet. Among friends and family we may know of people who have left the faith for some reason, but never reach out to them to bring them back into union with Christ through the great gift that is the Holy Eucharist. We are not asked to look the other way or to participate in the sins of another, but instead we are asked to be concerned for all and to help walk with others along the path that leads to Heaven.
If we are to have this concern and this desire in our heart, we must be balanced in the virtue of charity. Charity is so often confused to be the acceptance of everything, but this is not charity. Charity is most vividly seen through the Holy Trinity where we observe that within the three Persons of the Trinity love in equally shared and is in no way abused. We cannot leave this Church and act without charity in our encounters with others because if we do we will be unable to move with people along the path that leads to Heaven. When we guide a spouse, child, friend, or somebody else along this path we cannot attack them or put them down because this would not be living out charity. On the other hand, we can not look the other way or partake in another's sin because this also would not be living out authentic charity. If we can find no other way to engage these people, to be loving guides for them in the faith, we can always turn towards prayer. When Saint Monica desired the conversion of her own son, Augustine, and it did not come immediately, she did not just give up on him and look the other way, but in her charity she prayed for her son's conversion. Indeed this day may all of us be filled with great charity, become true examples of the faith, and be willing to assist others towards the Heavenly Kingdom.
No comments:
Post a Comment