There is a great line in today’s second reading from St. Peter that is very apropos for us this week. It actually is the opening line in the reading: Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, 16 but do it with gentleness and reverence. (I Peter 3:15 NABRE)
Let us remember that we do not just believe in God. How we believe affects every decision and our way of living. This is something that Jesus emphasized in the Sermon on the Mount. We are the salt of the Earth. If salt loses its flavor then it is good for nothing but to be trampled underfoot.
So we have a calling to live in such a way that our faith speaks for itself. Our faith, however, is not just believing after all the devil believes in God more than you do, but he rejects and hates him. Our faith is also helping us understand who we are. That is why we live a different life than those who do not believe because we define ourselves differently. We define ourselves through our communion with Jesus Christ which is at the root of our prayer.
Our prayer with Christ will help us to grow in a deeper understanding of whom we are and where we are going.
Notice something else. St. Peter calls us to be ready to give an explanation of why we do the things we do based on our faith. But he says do it with gentleness and reverence.
There are tons of Catholics out there who are ready to pounce on anyone who disagrees with what we believe and ready to dismiss and even verbally assault those we disagree with in the name of what they consider being faithful to the Church. However, the first pope, the one appointed by Christ himself says for us not to do that. We must respond with gentleness and reverence. How do we do that? By humbly rooting ourselves in Christ and acting on that relationship with him in reverence to his love for others as well.
This means we need to know our faith well.
The Vatican II council says the following:
The laity need to be trained to discern God’s will through a familiarity with his word, read and studied in the Church under the guidance of her legitimate pastors.
Yes, you have a call to know your faith in a way that you live as St. Peter requests. But it also teaches us whole new way of being.
I have used this example even at funerals. You may or may not know that I do not have a cardiologist. I did at one time until he told me to give up rice, potatoes, pasta and bread. I gave up one thing: my cardiologist.
But he told me that he wanted me to live until 90. With all due respect to nonogenerians, I asked him if he understood what I do for a living. I explained that I am in the eternal life business.
My whole role is to help others and myself come to eternal life in Christ. So why do I want to be so focused on living a long life, when I am more focused on encountering Christ at the end of this one.
I am certainly not going to live this one without bread, rice, pasta etc. by the way. You may have notice that I have done well controlling what I eat and knowing when to eat those things in their proper proportion.
You see, I was explaining that if God wants me to live until my hundreds that was up to him, but my goal is ultimately eternal life with him and helping those he sends into my life to end up there as well.
Another expression I use is that we are like in the lobby in fine hotel waiting for the room to be ready so that we can move in.
So we will look at the world differently than those who have nothing beyond this life.
At this time we deal with many people who are afraid of the virus. I listen to people who recite the talking points they see in US media that enforces how afraid they are. I get my news from RT so I do not watch the US channels.
I spoke earlier how it is our job to give them hope and that is what St. Peter tells us. By having a deep understanding of who we are as Christ tells us through the holy spirit we live our lives differently than those who do not believe at all.
We are called to do that and when people ask us why, we can explain so that they will understand.
Right now our country is in a unique position. The reason is that freedom and liberty are the key virtues in our country, but those who are not afraid of the virus are afraid that freedom and liberty are at stake. To be honest the most contested and vilified politicians in our country are so because they have not allayed the fears of those who are worried about the future of our country more than their future under the virus.
However, our hope is in the next world more than this one. So St. Peter tells us to define ourselves and act on this definition so that we may be signs to others no matter what happens that there is more and it is in Christ.
There are protests happening over whether one should wear the mask. Well, I am wearing the mask, why because whether I agree with it or not, I am serving Christ by obeying the civil authorities right now. So it is not a sign of submission or of fear, it is a sign of service to the Christ who calls me to live in such a way that I am testifying to what I believe and I believe in being in service to My Lord in whom I hope and his people whom I serve.
Peter is telling us to live differently than those who do not believe. It is central to what we are all about. Let us always remember that.
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