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(Editor's note: Father Konopka is director of the diocesan Consultation Center in Albany, which offers psychological counseling and educational services, and sacramental minister at St. Clare's parish in Colonie. He delivered this homily at Mass at St. Clare's July 31, right after the murder of Rev. Jaques Hamel during Mass at Eglise St.-Etienne in northern France. The two attackers who slit Father Hamel's throat claimed allegiance to the Islamic State.)

Given the martyrdom of the 85-year-old priest in France July 26, I thought it would be good idea to reflect on the risk of being a Christian.

He was doing something I have done for almost 26 years: With the exception of vacations, I have gathered with a group of people for daily Mass. On Sundays, I have presided at the altar or I have been in the congregation.

I have never been afraid of coming to say Mass. My only fear has been who will complain about what I preached, how long I preached, that I sang too much or that someone thinks I ignored them -- which, by the way, usually is because I am distracted, never intentional.

Yet, now, this man who gathered with his usual daily Mass crew has made me realize that this is a risk.

I am in no way advocating a siege mentality. The doors must remain open to all people. After all, St. Paul said in the second reading (Col 3:1-5,9-11) that there is no Jew or Greek, male or female.

There is no "mentally healthy" or "mentally ill," gay or straight, young or old. Jesus welcomed all, no matter who they were.

Each one of us needs to own the risk of being a Catholic. We cannot be ashamed of it anymore; we must be proud of who we are. We cannot hide our lamps under bushel baskets or settle for the status quo.

I think the worst thing that happened to Christianity was in 327 AD, when Emperor Constantine made Christianity the religion of the Roman Empire. It became risk-free to believe in Jesus.

We also need to see the risk we take when we worship. Father Hamel died doing what we are doing right now.

No longer can we treat the Eucharist as mundane or ordinary. You have heard me say often that we need to remain after communion; yet, people leave when the Eucharist hasn't even been swallowed.

When we are here, we are in the presence of God, and it is a risk. We need to ask ourselves: "If someone walked in here who was a stranger, would they see the risk we take?"

We don't really know much about Father Hamel. All I need to know is that he was a priest, my brother in the fraternity of the priesthood, and he made real the words he said at every celebration: "This is my body, broken for you: this is my blood, poured for you."

He who stood so often in "persona Christi" to and with the people became the sacrifice offered.

I finally see the risk and the meaning of the words Bishop Emeritus Howard J. Hubbard spoke to me on the morning of my ordination. After the laying on of hands, the vesting and anointing, he handed me the bread and chalice with these words from the rite of ordination of a priest: "Receive, from the holy people of God, the gifts to be offered to God. Know what you do, imitate what you celebrate and conform your life to the mystery of the Lord's Cross."

In the life of this priest whom I never met, I now see the risk and challenge of these words.

In simple gifts of bread and wine, we experience the mystery of Calvary, here on this altar. We need to know what we do. This is when we meet God in this sacred place; here, we see the risk of following Jesus to the cross.

We must imitate what we celebrate: the cross. Forty-five minutes away from here in Auriesville, St. Isaac Jogues and his companions died for the faith. Blessed Oscar Romero was shot at the altar by the Salvadoran government for speaking out for the rights of the poor.

This is the risk of being a Christian and a priest. As a priest and Christian, my life must be conformed to the Christ that was offered and saved each one of us.

The risk of the priesthood: to offer one's life in the service of the cross. It can never be about power and prestige; it can never be about clothes and things. Never is a priest to be treated as better than anyone else; he is the servant of all.

To know what we do and imitate what we celebrate is to see that the risk of Christianity is about knowing the Jesus who gave all for all people, and do the same.

If we want this church to be filled again, then I have a homework assignment for you for this week: Go and tell the story of an 85-year-old priest who was simply being a priest and taking the risk to follow Jesus. Tell people about the risk and the glory.

St. Paul says that we should glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. May we take the risk to embrace the cross, the tomb and grave. May we take the risk to be who we say we are: Catholic and Christian.[[In-content Ad]]

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