Homily for Ordinary Time 12 - June 25, 2017

Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time

June 25, 2017

Witness to Christ

 

            There was a great meme floating around the Internet. For those who don’t know what a meme is, it’s a funny picture with a caption or quote on it. This particular meme featured a picture of Abraham Lincoln, and the caption read, “Abraham Lincoln once said, ‘Don’t believe everything you read on the internet.’” Obviously that is not a direct quote from our fourteenth president!

            It also drives me crazy when people make up fake quotes from the saints. One of the worst ones is often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi – “Preach the Gospel at all times, if necessary use words.” A nice thought – problem is, not only did he not say that, but it is often used as a copout, when people say, “Oh, we don’t need to talk about Christ, because we live like Him already.” St. Francis would have said the opposite – he was often preaching in five villages per day. He would stand on a bale of hay or on the steps of a public building, and preach very passionately to anyone who would hear. And many people stopped to listen to this fiery, passionate preacher! We must not just live the Gospel – we must witness to Christ publicly.

            Two weeks ago, we were having a marketing meeting at Trinity High School. One of our board members said, “Maybe we should become more like Fairfield Prep or Laurelton Hall, because they don’t wear their Catholicism on their sleeve.” Luckily the rest of the room quickly disagreed with him – including myself. We should be proud to be visibly, undeniably Catholic – not just a subtle quiet Catholicism, but one that declares for all to see that we belong to Jesus Christ. That’s nothing to be embarrassed about!

            Jesus is very clear in today’s Gospel that if we are embarrassed to speak about Jesus Christ and to be known as a public Christian, then He will be embarrassed about us and deny us before His Heavenly Father. But as our first reading reveals, speaking the Name of Christ is not always popular. Jeremiah was considerably persecuted – beaten, put into stocks, and thrown into a dry cistern. It was controversial in his time, and it is controversial in ours.

            Do you all remember the former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow? He led his Denver Broncos from a 1-4 start to beat the Steelers in the playoffs. Despite his success on the football field, he was roundly criticized for being a very public Christian. One of his fellow quarterbacks one time said, “I would like Tebow a lot more if he would just shut up about his faith in Jesus Christ.” The persecution that follows a public Christian is what prompts Jesus to urge us to put our trust in God – He will take care of us if we are not afraid to speak His Name.

            So how do we witness to Christ publicly? I would give three suggestions.

            First, surround ourselves with holy things. I know a kid who wore a shirt that read, “John 3:16” on his first day at a public high school. That took courage – but as it turned out, nobody bullied him for it. Rather, they respected that he had enough faith to be public about his relationship with Christ. My dad had a small crucifix in his office at work – when people would stop by his office, they would see that he was a believer – and often they would ask him for prayers or ask questions about the Catholic faith. I still wear a scapular beneath my shirt, which is a brown cloth that symbolizes my consecration to Our Lady. When I was wearing it as a teen, it was quite the discussion starter! But what a great way to witness publicly!

            Second, find ways to bring up faith in everyday conversations. If someone is sharing with you a problem they’re going through, offer to pray for them – and then pray with them, right there. It’s powerful! When someone asks about your weekend plans, tell them about how you are looking forward to coming to Mass. Don’t be afraid to share why you are passionately in love with Jesus Christ. Bring up His Name and His Faith in everyday conversations!

            Finally, invite people to come to Mass with you. If you really love your parish, you want her to grow – and if you really love your family and friends, you would introduce them to the most important person in your life – Jesus. We so easily invite friends to try new restaurants or to see the latest movie, so why not invite them to something greater than Guardians of the Galaxy? The Mass is the greatest hour of our week, because it is an encounter with God – why not invite others here, too? The worst they could say is no, and I bet that most people would actually be quite honored by the invitation!

            So, here is my challenge for you. Choose one of these three ways of witnessing to Christ – surrounding ourselves with holy things like wearing a crucifix or having a bible on our desk at school; bringing up our faith in everyday conversation; or inviting someone to Mass – and actually go out and do it this week! Let me know how it goes! If we are not ashamed to speak the name of Jesus in public, to our family and friends, then He will not be ashamed to speak our name before His Heavenly Father!