Witnessing for Christ
07/09/08 06:18 Filed in: Faith
Each of us must make it our mission to follow Christ's command. We need to witness to those closest to us.
“And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 10: 1-7)
A past issue of “Atlantic Monthly” magazine contains an eye-opening article entitled “Crises of Faith,” in which the author points out America is moving away from organized religion toward the type of secularism that holds sway in Europe. Citing a 2002 study by two Berkley, California sociologists, the author reports, "the percentage of Americans who say they have no religious preference had doubled in less than ten years, rising from 7 percent to 14% of the population."
In 2007, another study, this one by the Pew Research Center, revealed that "20 percent of 18-to-25-year-olds reported no religious affiliation, up from 11 percent in the late 1980s."
Organized religion may have lost some of its base because it is now seen by many, especially the nation's youth, as a polarizing political force.
Today's Gospel is instructive on this point. In sending His apostles out to preach, Jesus does not tell them to speak out against His political foes, the Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians. He doesn't tell them to criticize the Samaritans, pagans or Romans. He tells them to preach the good news of salvation and heal the Jewish nation. He specifically gives the apostles the power to cure.
Today, it is the mystical body of Christ that needs healing. We need to find ways to attract youth to the Church. We have to meet them where they are at – in social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. We need more vibrant, contemporary music in our celebrations of the Mass. And we have to do a better job of articulating our message on vital, political issues of the day.
We like to think that doctors and nurses cure us, but the truth is, a patient’s attitude has an important role to play in the healing process. That is why Jesus asks people what they want before He heals them.
It is difficult to think clearly when you're in a world of hurt. The tendency is to want to treat the symptoms, mask the pain; but, the wound remains and failure to recognize that can aggravate the condition.
Healing a bodily wound can take weeks, even months. At any time during the recovery process, we may feel pain. It’s also true of the spiritual healing process that the Church must undergo.
Jesus told His apostles to expect the pain of rejection in proclaiming the good news. But He did not want them to get distracted by their enemies. He wanted them to stay on point and proclaim the "Kingdom of God is at hand." He wanted them to emphasize the good news of salvation.
If the trends revealed in the “Atlantic Monthly” article are to be reversed, each of us must make it our mission to follow Christ's command. We need to witness to those closest to us. We all have a role to play in the healing process.
A past issue of “Atlantic Monthly” magazine contains an eye-opening article entitled “Crises of Faith,” in which the author points out America is moving away from organized religion toward the type of secularism that holds sway in Europe. Citing a 2002 study by two Berkley, California sociologists, the author reports, "the percentage of Americans who say they have no religious preference had doubled in less than ten years, rising from 7 percent to 14% of the population."
In 2007, another study, this one by the Pew Research Center, revealed that "20 percent of 18-to-25-year-olds reported no religious affiliation, up from 11 percent in the late 1980s."
Organized religion may have lost some of its base because it is now seen by many, especially the nation's youth, as a polarizing political force.
Today's Gospel is instructive on this point. In sending His apostles out to preach, Jesus does not tell them to speak out against His political foes, the Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians. He doesn't tell them to criticize the Samaritans, pagans or Romans. He tells them to preach the good news of salvation and heal the Jewish nation. He specifically gives the apostles the power to cure.
Today, it is the mystical body of Christ that needs healing. We need to find ways to attract youth to the Church. We have to meet them where they are at – in social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. We need more vibrant, contemporary music in our celebrations of the Mass. And we have to do a better job of articulating our message on vital, political issues of the day.
We like to think that doctors and nurses cure us, but the truth is, a patient’s attitude has an important role to play in the healing process. That is why Jesus asks people what they want before He heals them.
It is difficult to think clearly when you're in a world of hurt. The tendency is to want to treat the symptoms, mask the pain; but, the wound remains and failure to recognize that can aggravate the condition.
Healing a bodily wound can take weeks, even months. At any time during the recovery process, we may feel pain. It’s also true of the spiritual healing process that the Church must undergo.
Jesus told His apostles to expect the pain of rejection in proclaiming the good news. But He did not want them to get distracted by their enemies. He wanted them to stay on point and proclaim the "Kingdom of God is at hand." He wanted them to emphasize the good news of salvation.
If the trends revealed in the “Atlantic Monthly” article are to be reversed, each of us must make it our mission to follow Christ's command. We need to witness to those closest to us. We all have a role to play in the healing process.
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