Tag: Communion of Saints

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Easter Vigil

entrance to the tomb

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Holy Saturday at the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter Mass Readings

Reading 1: Genesis 1:1-2:2 or Genesis 1:1, 26-31A
Responsorial: Psalm 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12-14, 24, 35 or Psalm 33:4-7, 12-13, 20, 22
Reading 2: Genesis 22:1-18 or Genesis 22:1-2, 9A, 10-13, 15-18
Responsorial: Psalm 16:5, 8-11
Reading 3: Exodus 14:15-15:1
Responsorial: Exodus 15:1-6, 17-18
Reading 4: Isaiah 54:5-14
Responsorial: Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 11-13
Reading 5: Isaiah 55:1-11
Responsorial: Isaiah 12:2-6
Reading 6: Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4:4
Responsorial: Psalm 19:8-11
Reading 7: Ezekiel 36:16-17A, 18-28
Responsorial: Psalm 42:3, 5; 43:3, 4 or Isaiah 12:2-3, 4BCD, 5-6 or Psalm 51:12-15, 18-19
Epistle: Romans 6:3-11
Responsorial: Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23
Gospel: Mark 16:1-7

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040321.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

Happy Easter! He is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia! I’m Deacon Rudy Villarreal and I’m so glad to share this time with you as we break open the Word!

A brother deacon of mine told me recently that he has either served at or assisted with one to two funerals a week, every week for the past year. Half of those funerals were due to COVID. There is no question that this time of pandemic has been difficult for so many people regardless of whether you think things have been handled well or not. But death, I imagine, has been especially difficult. How many deaths might have been preventable if it weren’t for politics? How many people had to die alone, I wonder? And the sad truth of it is that the pandemic is not over yet.

What comfort does all the ritual of Holy Week and Easter offer those who mourn? What comfort does Easter offer? Let’s explore Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection to show how these events relate to lives of people.

Today is the Great Vigil of Easter! Now, these aren’t just some bedtime stories we tell to pass the time until Easter dinner, with tons of chocolate, and easter egg hunts. No! There’s so much more going on. As we listened to the Scriptures and we walked through the events of this most Holy Week, I invite you to stop and think about how we got here to the Easter Vigil. I mean, just last week, we celebrated Palm Sunday. And as we heard in what is typically the first reading proclaimed outside before the procession, the people yelled, “Hosanna!” (11:9), and they spread their cloaks and leafy branches on the road to make way for Jesus! (11:8). The people were cheering and applauding and celebrating! They treated him like a rock star!

Can you imagine what it must have felt like to be one of Jesus’ closest disciples as that scene unfolded? I bet excitement and joy filled the disciples at the way the crowd received their teacher! What a moment!

And then, just a few days later – they crucified him. They stripped Jesus of his dignity, and they nailed him to a cross. There he hung in the air like a criminal until he died a most torturous death.

How do you think the eleven disciples felt? We can’t be sure because they weren’t there! Where were they? They were hiding! I mean, Judas betrayed Jesus. Peter denied Jesus. Their whole world collapsed. So now what?

Just a little earlier in Mark before the reading we heard proclaimed today, Mark tells us that two women who followed Jesus in Galilee were there at the crucifixion. Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the mother of James and Salome. They witnessed the horror of Jesus’ death. They saw where they laid Jesus to rest. For some reason, they decided to go to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body. Maybe they felt Joseph had rushed things Friday night. The women didn’t realize Jesus has already been “anointed beforehand for burial” by another woman the night before the Last Supper (14:3-8). <1>

Now, this is an interesting point to keep in mind as we move forward. The women – not the men – “provide … continuity between the story of Jesus’ death and burial and the story of Easter morning.” <2> Unlike the male disciples who are nowhere, these women clearly aren’t overcome with despair. They resolve to do something – one final act to honor their beloved teacher. They couldn’t anoint his body on the Sabbath, so early Sunday morning, they set out for the tomb.

Now, the Greek words that Mark uses gives us some interesting insight into this scene. When the women arrived, they looked up and saw the tomb opened. The Greek word Mark used for “looking up” could also mean “to gain sight.” <3> Why gain sight? Perhaps the women were so busy that they were blind to Jesus’ words. Just as they witnessed his death, now they bore witness to the empty tomb.

When they entered the tomb, instead of finding Jesus, they encountered a young man in white. Scholars tell us that based on various Scripture passages, we can believe that this youth was some sort of angel. <4> Jesus is not in the tomb. The youth tells the women that Jesus has risen. Scholars tell us that even the Greek verb Mark uses is passive to describe “the divine origin of the miracle.” <5>

The youth tells the women to go and tell the other disciples that Jesus will meet them in Galilee. The women are commissioned to be the first evangelizers of the Resurrection! <6>

While this passage from Mark ends by describing the women’s fear, they told someone because the faith spread like wildfire and is with us here today. “The Gospel of Mark begins and ends with the proclamation of good news and the invitation to participate in God’s reign alive among us (1:14-15; 16:7).” <7>

Isn’t it wonderful? But this is no story.

What comfort do these events offer those who mourn their dead?

You see, for Christians, death isn’t the end of the story! Jesus was raised from the dead! Jesus overcame sin and death! Jesus’ triumph tells us, that, “The power of God is on the loose in the world, calling for our response.” <8>

As baptized Christians, we are united through Jesus with God – all of us – those who came before, those here with us now, and those yet to be born. And because we are united through Jesus, death is not the end! We are connected with our dead friends and family. And we will see them again! That’s part of the great hope of the Kingdom of God! The hope of the resurrection is felt by all believers, of course, but it’s felt in a particular way by all those who mourn. Indeed, all of the rituals of this most Holy Week affirms our hope in Christ Jesus. As we gather to mark the Great Vigil of Easter, we remember. We celebrate. And we believe!

Homework! Rejuvenated by the Easter message that we celebrate through the Word of God and the Eucharist, I invite you to reflect on the following question.
The women commissioned to announce the resurrection were ordinary people, just like most of us. How am I called to share the Good News?

Doing our homework reminds us as disciples that Easter is not just any day. It’s a reminder of our commission to go out into the world spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May we all come to know the joy of Easter and may God bless you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

You’re listening to deacon rudy’s notes. Thank you for joining me today. Silent Partner composed our theme music. You can find all sorts of helpful information on the website at www.deaconrudysnotes.org. I’m Deacon Rudy Villarreal. Join me again next weekend as we break open the Word. Peace!

Image Credit: Easter Tomb. Artist Unknown. JPG.

Notes:
<1> Mary Ann Beavis, chap. Mark 16:1-8, sec. Tracing the Narrative Flow, Kindle.
<2> Dawn Ottoni-Wilhelm, 352.
<3> Mary Ann Beavis, chap. Mark 16:1-8, sec. Tracing the Narrative Flow, Kindle.
<4> Mary Ann Beavis, chap. Mark 16:1-8, sec. The Messenger in the Tomb, Kindle. Also see Dawn Ottoni-Wilhelm, 351.
<5> Mary Ann Beavis, chap. Mark 16:1-8, sec. The Messenger in the Tomb, Kindle.
<6> Mary Ann Beavis, chap. Mark 16:1-8, sec. The Messenger in the Tomb, Kindle.
<7> Dawn Ottoni-Wilhelm, 355.
<8> Dawn Ottoni-Wilhelm, 357. Emphasis in original.

Bibliography/Suggested Readings:
1. Beavis, Mary Ann. Mark. Paideia Commentary Series. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2011. Kindle.
2. Healy, Mary. Hebrews. The Gospel of Mark. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2008. Kindle.
3. Hahn, Scott W. and Curtis Mitch. Romans. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2017. Kindle.
4. Ottoni-Wilhelm, Dawn. Preaching the Gospel of Mark: Proclaiming the Power of God. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2008.

Catechism References http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm:
1. Christ’s resurrection and ours: 638-58, 992-1004
2. Easter the Lord’s Day: 647, 1167-70, 1243, 1287
3. The Sacraments of Initiation: 1212
4. Baptism: 1214-22, 1226-28, 1234-45, 1254
5. Baptism – death and resurrection with Christ: 1214, 1220, 1227
6. Baptism – the sacrament of faith: 1226, 1253-54
7. Baptism – the sacrament of justification: 1266, 1992
8. Confirmation: 1286-89
9. Eucharist: 1322-23
10. The first day of the week: 2174-77

Holy Saturday at the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040321.cfm
Lectionary: 41

Gospel
Mark 16:1-7
When the sabbath was over,
Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome
bought spices so that they might go and anoint him.
Very early when the sun had risen,
on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb.
They were saying to one another,
“Who will roll back the stone for us
from the entrance to the tomb?”
When they looked up,
they saw that the stone had been rolled back;
it was very large.
On entering the tomb they saw a young man
sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe,
and they were utterly amazed.
He said to them, “Do not be amazed!
You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified.
He has been raised; he is not here.
Behold the place where they laid him.
But go and tell his disciples and Peter,
‘He is going before you to Galilee;
there you will see him, as he told you.’”

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Solemnity of All Saints

Picture from an outdoor mass with John Paul II in Victory Square, Poland, 1979

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Mass Readings

Reading 1: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14
Responsorial: Psalm 24:1BC-4AB, 5-6
Reading 2: 1 John 3:1-3
Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12A

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/110120.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

All Saints’ Day is an opportunity to reflect on what it means to live as children of God. But before we get to that, let’s just do a little housekeeping, okay?

We don’t worship saints. Period. We worship God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

All believers are part of the community of saints. Why do we call some “saints?” Well, it’s definitely not for their benefit. As St. Paul tells us, the saints have already fought the good fight, they’ve run their race, and they kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7). And St. Bernard preaching in the 12th century said, “The saints have no need of honor from us; neither does our devotion add the slightest thing to what is theirs. Clearly, if we venerate their memory, it serves us, not them.” <1>

So, calling someone a “saint” is really a church thing. Why? Well, in our society today, we honor all sorts of people, right? We might hold up athletes, or actors and actresses, or successful and innovative businesspeople. We lift them up as inspiration and maybe even role models. How many children have thought to themselves, “I want to be just like him or her when I grow up!”

The Church lifts of people and calls them “saints” as role models for all of us. Some are martyrs for the faith, probably not unlike the three believers brutally murdered outside the Notre-Dame Basilica in Nice, France. Other saints lived lives of heroic virtue. We are all called to be holy. Jesus tells us, “You are therefore to be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). And the Second Vatican Council document, Lumen Gentium, devotes an entire chapter to the “Universal Call to Holiness”. <3> These saints are people who we believe made use of God grace – the same grace available to all of us – to help them in their quest for holiness.

Take for example the mother-physician Gianna Beretta Molla who in 1962 refused a life-saving procedure during her pregnancy that would have resulted in the abortion of her fourth baby. The Church lifts her up as an example of extraordinary faith and love.

Or take Blessed Stanley Rother, a priest from Oklahoma, who was murdered in 1981 in Guatemala. He had been recalled home but asked for permission and in fact returned to Guatemala despite the risks. In a letter to the faithful in Oklahoma, he wrote, “This is one of the reasons I have for staying in the face of physical harm. The shepherd cannot run at the first sign of danger.” <2> He is not just a role model for priests. He is a role model for all of us who are trying to live lives of intentional discipleship or as Pope Francis would say, missionary discipleship.

The lives of the saints and their stories should inspire us and hopefully give us some ideas about how we can live our lives in pursuit of holiness. Okay, this is the background for today’s celebration.

Today’s reading from Revelation paints a picture of heaven and there are people from all over the world dressed in white robes. They are martyrs for the faith. “These are those who come from the great trouble. And they washed their clothes and whitened them in the Lamb’s blood” (Revelation 7:14). In our second reading from First John, we are called “God’s children” (1 John 3:2).

What does it mean to be children of God?

Our Gospel today comes from the Sermon on the Mount which instructs us as disciples, believers, children of God, about justice. But Jesus teaches that justice should not be restricted to a perfunctory level, but he goes to the heart of the matter. We strive to be holy as the Father is holy. <4> And the path of the disciple is not easy. Most of us will never be asked to make the ultimate sacrifice like those three believers murdered in Nice, France this week. But we may face ridicule from our friends and families. We might even lose friendships over our faith. Jesus tells us:

• In a highly polarized world, Jesus wants us to forgive and turn the other cheek.
• In a world that values the symbols of wealth and the latest new “toy”, Jesus wants us to live humbly and to give generously.
• In a world scarred by war and division, Jesus wants us to love our enemies and to work for peace. <5>

All of us disciples are caught in a balancing act between what we need to do in this world to provide for families and the call to holiness. Every saint ever named understands this tug-of-war. Maybe that’s one of the reasons the Church asks us to celebrate “All Saints” today, so that we are inspired by those who have already run the race and who were filled with God’s grace. You see, we are not alone in the struggles we face. Every generation of believers has faced their own time of trial. While we should never stop working for justice, it is reassuring to know that we are united in faith with our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout time.

Homework! Inspired by the Word of God and by the Eucharist, I encourage you to reflect on the following two questions. First, when have I put more trust in this world that in God? Second, how can I live a simpler and more generous life?

I pray our homework will help us live our discipleship with greater conviction. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

Image Credit: Artist unknown. Pentecost Mass for 300,000 people celebrated by Pope John Paul II in Victory Square, Poland, 1979. JPG file.

Notes: Unless otherwise indicated, all Bible quotes are taken from The Bible: A Study Bible freshly translated by Nicholas King. Buxhall, Suffolk UK: Kevin Mayhew, 2013.

<1> Saint Bernard, abbot, sermon (Sermo 2: Opera omnia, Edit. Cisterc. 5 [1968], 364-368).
<2> Beecroft, Mason (December 16, 2014). “Making the Case for Martyrdom.” This Land. This Land Press. Accessed October 30, 2020. https://thislandpress.com/2014/12/16/making-the-case-for-martyrdom/
<3> See Lumen Gentium, Chapter V, beginning with paragraph 39: https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html.
<4> O’Neil and Black, The Essential Moral Handbook, 127.
<5> “Sunday, November 1 All Saints” the Word Among Us. Web. https://wau.org/meditations/2020/11/01/176958/.

References:
1. Anderson, Kelly and Daniel Keating. James, First, Second, and Third John. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academics, 2017. Kindle.
2. Mitch, Curtis and Edward Sri. The Gospel of Matthew. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2010. Kindle.
4. O’Neil, Kevin J. C.Ss.R. and Peter Black, C.Ss.R. The Essential Moral Handbook: A guide to Catholic Living. Liguori, Missouri: Liguori, 2003.
5. Williamson, Peter S. Revelation. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academics, 2015. Kindle.

Catechism References http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm:
1. Seeing God in the beatific vision, 163, 1023, 1028, 2519
2. Heaven, 326
3. Poor in spirit, 544, 2546
4. Church as sacrament of unity of human race, 775
5. Heaven, 769, 1023-29
6. Celebrants of the heavenly liturgy, 1136-39, 2642
7. The new people of God, 1138
8. The seal, 1295-96
9. Revelation that we are children of God, 1692
10. Christian beatitude, 1716-24
11. Peace makers, 2305, 2330
12. Pure in heart, 2518
13. Confidence before God, 2633, 2777-78

Solemnity of All Saints https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/110120.cfm
Lectionary: 667

Reading 1
Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14
I, John, saw another angel come up from the East,
holding the seal of the living God.
He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels
who were given power to damage the land and the sea,
“Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees
until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”
I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal,
one hundred and forty-four thousand marked
from every tribe of the children of Israel.

After this I had a vision of a great multitude,
which no one could count,
from every nation, race, people, and tongue.
They stood before the throne and before the Lamb,
wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
They cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne,
and from the Lamb.”

All the angels stood around the throne
and around the elders and the four living creatures.
They prostrated themselves before the throne,
worshiped God, and exclaimed:
“Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,
honor, power, and might
be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me,
“Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?”
I said to him, “My lord, you are the one who knows.”
He said to me,
“These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;
they have washed their robes
and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.”

Responsorial
Psalm 24:1BC-2, 3-4AB, 5-6
R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

Reading 2
1 John 3:1-3
Beloved:
See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
Yet so we are.
The reason the world does not know us
is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God’s children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,
as he is pure.

Alleluia
Matthew 11:28
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Matthew 5:1-12A
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.”

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ATC 18 Wherein Lies Our Faith

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Hola and welcome to another edition of All Things Catholic. I’m your host, Deacon Rudy Villarreal, and together we are going to explore what it means to be Catholic. If you have a question that you’d like me to address, send it to me. You may use the comment form on the website, or by email to rudy@deaconrudysnotes.org. I invite you to share this podcast with everyone you know!

On today’s episode, we’re going to talk about where we invest our faith. The fallout over the murder of George Floyd has sparked widespread and sometimes violent protests across the United States. In general, the protests are about addressing systemic racism in the country – especially when it comes to policing. But protestors in several parts of the country have destroyed or attempted to destroy statues that some believe are evidence of institutionalized racism, like statues of notable confederate leaders.

But protestors have also targeted churches and religious statues in various parts of the country. Clearly, at least for some protestors, this is no longer about Black Lives Matter. I think there is a group of people, hopefully it’s a small group, who would like to see the artifacts of Christianity erased from public view. That in itself is an interesting if not frightening idea which we will explore next month when we discuss what it means to be a Christian today. But today I want to focus on how the illegal attacks on churches and religious statues affect our faith.

First, what is faith? C.S. Lewis described faith as, “the art of holding on to things your reason once accepted, in spite of your changing moods.”<1> Thomas Aquinas distinguishes between the faith which is an unmerited, undeserved gift from God, and individual faith which is, “the act of the intellect assenting to the truth at the command of the will.”<2> Today when I use the word “faith,” I generally mean individual faith.

Today’s topic, “Wherein Lies Our Faith,” is related to the question, “do Catholics worship saints and statues?” This is a question that I keep coming back to over and over again. Even before I was ordained, I found myself in situations where I had to defend the faith against accusations that Catholics worship the saints or worship statues.

Let me be clear, our faith is in the triune God alone: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit! Period! As Christians, we believe we are saved by the blood of Jesus which he shed on the cross for you and for me. We are saved by Christ Jesus! Period! We are not saved by Mary. We are not saved by the saints. We are not saved by the angels. We are not saved by the Church. We believe that Mary, the saints, the angels, and the Church and all of us cooperate in evangelization – in sharing the Good News with others in order to bring people to Jesus. But only Jesus saves.

We (mainline Christians) believe that Mary and the saints – not just the official saints, but all believers who have passed away – make up the Communion of Saints. The idea about the Communion of Saints or the Cloud of Witness is one of the oldest beliefs in the Christian faith. That we believe in the Communion of Saints has been reflected in the Christian creed since at least the 4th Century.

We believe the saints can intercede for us before God. Now, this idea of intercessory prayer is not as widely accepted by Christians, but this belief is rooted in Scripture. In the Book of Revelation for example, we read, “And another angel came and stood at the altar, with a golden censer; and much incense was given him, for him to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne,” (The Revelation of John 8:4). Not to digress, but this is one of many Scripture passages referring to those who’ve fallen asleep and intercessory prayer. The point is while we believe in Mary and the Communion of Saints, we do not worship any saint, not even Mary. We worship Christ alone.

Now what does this have to do with our topic, “wherein lies our faith?” Mary and the saints are part of our faith – they are elements of our faith tradition, but they do not compose the sum total of our faith. Ok, you might be thinking, “fine, but what does this have to do with protests?” Excellent question!

A few years after 9/11, I asked a group of adult learners in a Church History class to reimagine the tragedy. Instead of the twin towers, what if St. Peter’s Basilica had been destroyed? How would they feel? What would it do to their faith? I put the question to you too.

Even then, a few years after the attacks, there was no surprise at the range of emotions undoubtedly shared by many Americans – from shock to anger to profound sadness. The students said they’d probably experience similar emotions if an icon of the Catholic faith, like St. Peter’s, were destroyed by terrorists. But what surprised me were the number of people who weren’t sure how it would affect their faith. The suggestion was so troubling to some, that they couldn’t comment – they didn’t want their imaginations to go there.

I can certainly understand people’s reluctance to even consider such an awful event! But putting that aside, why would this harm your faith? The problem of pain – why would a good and benevolent God allow such tragedy in this world? – is a question older than the Book of Job. That is a huge question with a wide variety of theological opinions which we could consider in a future episode, but here’s the reader’s digest version. There are two types of evil in this world: moral and physical. A physical evil is like the damage caused by a hurricane. Thomas Aquinas tells us that these sorts of events are not evil in themselves. They are only evil in relation to people and the bad results produced. <3>

The idea of moral evil is rooted in free will. God chose to place us in this imperfect world subject to physical evils, and he gave us free will, which is the freedom to choose the right. When we reject God, we all evil to spread into the world. Why does God allow this to happen? Why does he allow people to commit horrible acts of evil? There is an idea in the lumber industry that the trees which produce the best lumber are those which have been subjected to the elements. Those trees whipped about winds, for example, produce a tough lumber. Those trees which have been sheltered to some extent produce inferior lumber.

There are many examples of this with regard to people. Athletes subject themselves to physical hardship and suffering in order to discipline their bodies for better results. No pain, no gain. The same is true for people of faith. In the early church, when Roman persecution began, many quickly left the church to save themselves while other believers willingly faced martyrdom. How can we know our conversion is firm if we are not tested? That’s not an easy answer to accept, but there you have it.

God gives us free will. Some people abuse free will for their own pursuits which allows evil to gain a foothold in our world. Those whose faith is tested by these evils but cling to God are true believers. Does that mean that God abandons us? No. There are who describe encounters with evil and believe that Jesus is there with them holding them, and in some cases weeping alongside them. It’s a powerful image much like that of a parent who tried to raise their child right, but the child chose a path of drug addiction and violence. All a parent can do sometimes is pray and weep. But like Augustine’s mother, Monica, we hold on to our faith and pray for conversion, consolation and deliverance.

Sadly, this world offers us too many opportunities to test our faith from the current threatened removal of statues like of St. Junipero Serra or St. Louis, to the vandalism of other religious statues to the desecration or even destruction of churches. Make no mistake, these are criminal acts of violence to be sure, but we must remember these buildings and statues can be repaired or replaced. Our faith isn’t in the building or the statue, but in God alone.

The clergy sex abuse scandal and cover-up are another opportunity to test our faith. It’s been disheartening to me that so many people have left the Church. Worse still are those who are so disillusioned that they’ve turned their backs on Jesus. This is why such failures of leadership are so scandalous because it can lead people to apostasy. We can be angry, disappointed, or disillusioned, but our faith can’t be invested in the Church or any priest or holy person. These gifts can help nurture our faith, but our faith has to be in Christ alone despite the presence of evil in the world.

Our faith is in Christ alone. Should we fight or resist evil when it comes to our door, like violent protestors? Should we do nothing to prevent the rising tide of secularism or the dangers of Marxism? Does this mean we should just let them in and destroy what they want?

Well, there is that idea of turning the other cheek. But there is also the axiom that a shepherd must tend to his flock, and at times, fight off the wolves. When does it make sense to make a stand? When we have the greatest opportunity to facilitate an encounter with Jesus Christ. When our actions will spark curiosity and a willingness for dialogue. Buildings and statues destroyed by acts of evil can be replaced. Bringing people to Jesus Christ, that must always come first.

Wherein lies our faith? In Christ alone.

Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

You’re listening to All Things Catholic. What are your thoughts? Leave a comment – I’d love to consider what you’re thinking. If you’re on the webpage, just click the title of the podcast, then scroll to the bottom and you should be able to post a comment. Do you have a question that you’d like me to address? Please send it to me using the comment form on the website, or send me an email to rudy@deaconrudysnotes.org.

This episode was produced by deacon rudy’s notes. Our theme music was composed by Silent Partner. You can find all sorts of helpful information on the website at www.deaconrudysnotes.org. I’m your host, Deacon Rudy Villarreal. All Things Catholic will be back next month, and don’t forget to tune in for the weekend edition where we break open the Word. Peace!

Notes:
<1> C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, (New York: HarperCollins, 2009), chap. 11, Kindle.
<2> Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, 2nd, rev. ed., trans. Fathers of the English Dominican Province (1920; New Advent, 2008): II-II, Q. 4, a. 2., http://www.newadvent.org/summa/2001.htm.
<3> Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theolgoica, 2nd, rev. ed., trans. Fathers of the English Dominican Province (1920; New Advent, 2008): I, Q. 49, https://www.newadvent.org/summa/1049.htm#article1.

References:
1. Aquinas, Thomas. Summa Theologica. 2nd, rev. ed., trans. Fathers of the English Dominican Province (1920; New Advent, 2008). Accessed July 27, 2020, https://www.newadvent.org/summa/.
2. Lewis, C.S. Mere Christianity. New York: HarperCollins, 2009. Kindle.
3. The Bible: A Study Bible freshly translated by Nicholas King. Buxhall, Suffolk UK: Kevin Mayhew, 2013.