Whenever I hear the stories from the Acts of the Apostles or St. Paul’s letters, I fantasize about what it would be like to live during the time of the early Christian Church. There was a genuine care for those in their local communities; people took care of folks who were in need, faith in Jesus as a role model was strong , people seriously studied the ways of Jesus, and there was a genuine sense of compassion for fellow human beings. I would have liked to have been a part of that. Then I remembered the LIONS. I am not sure I have what it takes to stand and profess my faith in ‘The Way’ if I were standing before a Lion!
I jest, but I wonder if I truly have the ability to live as Jesus taught. While we may not face actual lions, we encounter modern ones: consumerism, busyness, addiction to technology, indifference, despair. How do these shape our gospel-centered lives? It can be difficult at times. Thank God for his merciful, forgiving, compassionate love—allowing us to begin again.
To add hope to this reflection, I want to share an experience from this past Sunday. I attended the installation of a local parish’s Pastor and was moved to tears as I listened to the parishioners participate fully in song and responses. The sense of love between the pastor and community was palpable. The church was electric. That’s how I imagined early Christian celebrations and, for a short time, ‘I was there’!
Well, if it can happen in one place, why not in others? How do I live out my faith life? Do I look at it each day and use it as a guide to deal with all the comings and goings? Or do I just think about getting to Mass for the weekend, happy that I fulfilled my obligation? Is God ever present in my life, or am I being attacked by some of today’s Lions? I don’t have any answers, but I do have questions that only I can answer. How about you?
During this week, see if you can tame some of the Lions you face. See how you can help to make your faith community fully alive.
Till Next week,
Sister Theresita
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