Monday, November 30, 2009The Joyful Mysteries
Romans 10:9-18
Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 11
Matthew 4:18-22
Romans 10:9-18
Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 11
Matthew 4:18-22
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
These are very encouraging words from St. Paul. They say that if we confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts, the core truths about Jesus, we will be saved. The core truths are that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead. These are not difficult to understand for those who call themselves Christian. Why then, does it seem that evidence of Christian behavior and its influence on the mores of our culture is so insipid? For it is only for someone that you love, that you will share stories about him and want others to meet him and get to know him. This is all that our Lord is asking of us—faithfulness through love, and for that love to be shared throughout the world.
But how are we to confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord? Perhaps it is because the twofold requirements laid out for us are missing. It’s not either/or, as our Protestant brothers sometimes forget—it is both/and. We can't just believe with our hearts or speak with our lips, those things that are Christ-centered; we must do both!
The disciples didn’t know this either but they had faith in our Lord and followed Him without questioning Christ’s words. “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men. At once they left their nets and followed him.” (Matthew 4:19-20) As they followed Christ they learned how to love others and sacrifice their lives so that when it came time for them to go and proclaim that Jesus is Lord to the four corners of the world, they were able to do so without questioning and with confidence that Jesus would be with them always. They proclaimed Jesus’ good news by word and action. In some cases they even gave the ultimate sacrifice, their lives.
We too are called to do as the disciples, to give our lives for Christ—at home, in the work place, at school, in the streets. On this Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, let us remember and imitate him. So that all, whom we meet, may see, hear and believe that Jesus is our Lord and Savior! Upon learning of Jesus, Andrew became convinced (in his heart) that Jesus was the Messiah. Unable to contain such a great truth, he sought out his brother Peter and confessed (with his mouth), saying: "Come see, we have found the Lord." (John 1:41).
These are very encouraging words from St. Paul. They say that if we confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts, the core truths about Jesus, we will be saved. The core truths are that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead. These are not difficult to understand for those who call themselves Christian. Why then, does it seem that evidence of Christian behavior and its influence on the mores of our culture is so insipid? For it is only for someone that you love, that you will share stories about him and want others to meet him and get to know him. This is all that our Lord is asking of us—faithfulness through love, and for that love to be shared throughout the world.
But how are we to confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord? Perhaps it is because the twofold requirements laid out for us are missing. It’s not either/or, as our Protestant brothers sometimes forget—it is both/and. We can't just believe with our hearts or speak with our lips, those things that are Christ-centered; we must do both!
The disciples didn’t know this either but they had faith in our Lord and followed Him without questioning Christ’s words. “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men. At once they left their nets and followed him.” (Matthew 4:19-20) As they followed Christ they learned how to love others and sacrifice their lives so that when it came time for them to go and proclaim that Jesus is Lord to the four corners of the world, they were able to do so without questioning and with confidence that Jesus would be with them always. They proclaimed Jesus’ good news by word and action. In some cases they even gave the ultimate sacrifice, their lives.
We too are called to do as the disciples, to give our lives for Christ—at home, in the work place, at school, in the streets. On this Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, let us remember and imitate him. So that all, whom we meet, may see, hear and believe that Jesus is our Lord and Savior! Upon learning of Jesus, Andrew became convinced (in his heart) that Jesus was the Messiah. Unable to contain such a great truth, he sought out his brother Peter and confessed (with his mouth), saying: "Come see, we have found the Lord." (John 1:41).
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