Lord, I am Your servant. With your help, may I become a witness of Your mercy and compassion to others. Amen.
Reflection
With all of the sensational trials and scandals in and out of the Church the last few months, I am reminded of an old, but self-revealing question: If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict? It’s an old question, but do we really think about it every day? For far too many of us the evidence is so meager that the case would be dismissed almost before it began. We go to Mass each week and mouth the right words, maybe even go to confession once a month or more often, but any sense of living with conviction of our trust and belief in Jesus Christ is absent.
A good measuring stick for our convictions is how we handle suffering; not just physical pain, but emotional stress as well. There is meaning in suffering. The Cross seems a folly to the world. But it is part of our mission – a mission given us by Our Lord who accompanies us as we pursue it. (Matthew 10:16-23) We sometimes forget that. But Jesus tells us very clearly that there is purpose. We may be handed over to hostile authorities, but if so, we are handed over as witnesses. Not witnesses in a human court or human trial - but witnesses for Jesus Christ.
What does it mean to be a witness for Jesus Christ? Saint Paul confronted those who said that our mission from the Lord to go into the world like sheep among wolves is folly (1 Cor 1:23).
As I pondered this, I came up with a simple answer (I think)—that is, to live one's life with the assurance and conviction that one is a child of God. Prayer, acts of kindness and charity toward one's brothers and sisters in Christ, a quiet certainty that God is present, concerned, and involved. Let’s not forget obedience to our Church’s teaching! And, sharing all of these with family, friends and neighbors—quietly and unobtrusively; but with absolute certainty that the God of Love is served when we serve others.
The witness of our lives in our pursuit of holiness demonstrates that the cross of Christ is by no means a folly. It is wisdom. We are wise to know that being innocent with Christ on the cross will lead us with Him to Resurrection and Easter Joy.
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