Reflection:
“You are witnesses of these things,” says Jesus to the Apostles after His resurrection. What things is Jesus referring to? “Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” Luke 24:46-48
In these verses Jesus is speaking to the whole Church as well. He is speaking to us today. Witnessing our Catholic faith to the world is the urgent task of every baptized and confirmed Catholic.
Recently Cardinal Gregory, the Archbishop of Washington, rightly spoke quite clearly about the unacceptable practice of choosing which Catholic teachings one will accept, while rejecting others. He was speaking particularly about those who publicly proclaim their Catholicism while rejecting and even attacking defined Church teaching.
It can be a real temptation to downplay, ignore or even reject those challenging teachings of our Church. We are witnesses of these things. Let’s pray that the grace and the power of the Holy Spirit will strengthen us to be true witnesses.
Reflection Question
- How can you better witness to your Catholic faith in your daily life, especially when faced with opposition or temptation to compromise on Church teachings?