January 31, 2023 at 9:46 p.m.
Called to be great Christians!
Called to be great Christians!
Our actions and behaviors tell others who we are, so who are we? Who are we as people? Who are we as individuals? Who are we as Americans? Who are we as Christians? Who are we as a Catholic community? To put it bluntly, who are we? The only way to answer the question who we are is to examine our actions, behaviors and motives in light of the teachings of our faith.
To answer this question who we are as a Catholic Community, let’s listen to what the Lord says in the Scriptures. We hear Sunday in the Gospel an excerpt of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5:13-16, which calls us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. “Jesus said to his disciples: You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house.” (Matthew 5:14-15)
As salt and light of the world we give a zest and passion to life and that comes from being illuminated by Christ in our lives. The prophet Isaiah gives the people of Israel a mandate to share their blessings with others. “Thus, says the Lord: Share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless, clothe the naked when you see them, and do not turn your back on your own. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn and your wound shall quickly heal.” (Isaiah 58: 7-8) This mandate from Isaiah is echoed in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) which we heard proclaimed in last week’s Gospel and are especially heard in Matthew 25:31-46, “The Final Judgment.” In the Final Judgment, Jesus gives us the corporal works of Mercy. Jesus said, “when I was hungry you gave me food, when I was thirsty you gave me drink, when I was naked you clothed me, when I was a stranger you welcomed me, when I was in prison you visited me.” These words from Scripture help us to understand what our actions and behaviors should be to help others know who we are as a Christian people.
The overarching theme that is woven throughout the entirety of the Gospel of Matthew is the kingdom is already but not yet. Jesus has brought about the kingdom of God through his suffering, death and resurrection. As the baptized, we are called to realize God’s kingdom by being the salt of the earth and the light of the world to others. Prior to Jesus’ ascension in Matthew 28:16-20, Jesus appears in Galilee and gives the disciples their Mission to the World: “Go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
So, who are we? We are disciples of Christ and we are called Christians. We are the children and youth of the world, we are widowed and orphaned, we are those who are discriminated against because of race, creed and gender. We are the hungering and thirsting, the immigrant and migrant, the stranger who seeks justice. These are those who came to hear Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, those who were looking for mercy and justice in a world that offered little or no mercy. In Jesus they found mercy and justice in his words of hope and in his healing presence. They took Jesus’ call to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world seriously, and many who heard Jesus’ words of hope and new life came to follow him. Psalm 112:4-5 calls us to be that light that shines through the darkness: “Light shines through the darkness for the upright; he is gracious and merciful and just.”
How do we come to understand ourselves as people of faith? How do we understand ourselves as disciples of Christ? We are not called to be great humanitarians, nor are we called to be caring social workers. We are called to be great Christians! How do we become great Christians? By living out our faith. St. Paul tells the church in Corinth: “When I came to you brothers and sisters, proclaiming the mystery of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or wisdom.” (1 Cor. 2:1-5) Paul tells the church in Corinth that it is not his words or actions that persuaded them to believe, rather it was the grace of God that enabled them to believe. Paul goes on to say, “with a demonstration of Spirit and power so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.” We do what we do not because of human wisdom and knowledge but because we are called to reveal the love of God to others, that is how we become the salt of the earth and the light of the world and thus we answer the call to be great Christians!
Father Anthony Ligato is assistant vice rector, director of Pastoral Formation, and formation advisor for Pontifical North American College in Rome.
250 X 250 AD
250 X 250 AD
Events
250 X 250 AD
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