“Next week, don’t be the same person you were last week. Let’s start to live a more radical response to the gift of the best news ever … I beg you to respond by sharing the Gospel with confidence, by rejoicing in his love even when life is really hard.”— Chris Stefanick, National Eucharistic Congress, July 21
Of all the powerful statements that were uttered at the National Eucharistic Congress, this is the one that stays with me.
Many of us seem to have lost the sense that the Gospel is, in fact, good news. When faith becomes caught up in debate and politics and keeping score, the heart of the Gospel is lost. When we become cynics who are quick to complain, criticize and condemn, we forget to share the joy we should have from being a disciple of the Lord Jesus. We forget what Jesus told us: “I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world (John 12:47).”
St. Paul tells us, “God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).”
Just to be clear: Abortion is unquestionably the destruction of innocent human life, yes. The blasphemous ridicule of the Last Supper as seen during the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony is insulting, yes. The plethora of injustices, sacrileges and evils we see around us should drive us to our knees and also into action, a thousand times yes.
BUT we must never lose sight of the wonderful, life-changing, earth-shaking Good News that Jesus Christ loves us right in the middle of our brokenness. We are living in an era of His mercy; His justice and a Day of Judgement are still to come. Make no mistake, on that day, everyone will know that He is Lord.
In the meantime, in this brief season here on a globe spinning through space, it’s our call to share the immense joy we have in Jesus. It’s a joy that should radiate from deep in our hearts and shine forth for all to see. It’s a joy that should energize us to share the truth, beauty and goodness of our Catholic faith. It’s a joy that comes from knowing that we are loved, and that we are called to love.
We experience joy that comes from knowing Jesus is truly with us in the Eucharist. Jesus is able to free us from fear and slavery to sin. Jesus has conquered sin and death. He has a loving plan for our lives and desires that every one of us turn to Him and become children of God.
After the Apostles were dragged before the authorities for preaching the Gospel, they were flogged and forbidden to preach. Flogged! Yet, “they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name (Acts 5:41).”
They’re insulting the more than 2 billion Christians throughout the world? By all means, fast and pray. But rejoice! Do what our Lord asks His disciples: Love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.
As Paul was chained in prison, he penned these words to the Philippians. They are words that ought to reinvigorate us today: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)
Let us go forth with love in our hearts and peace in our souls as we rejoice in God’s saving message for all who repent and turn to Him in faith.
