Daily Reflection
March 12, 2010
"All is Loss"
4th Sunday in Lent
March 14, 2010
Fr. Robert Barron
WordOnFire.og
"Our Lady of Guadalupe"
Visit: Mary's Page
for fascinating scientific findings about the "Mysteries of Her Eyes."
St. Denis and Our Lady of the Wayside
are two vibrant, caring and welcoming communities.
We gather together to worship and to celebrate.
As a community we reach out to the people around us in friendship
and in charity and thus try to transform the world around us.
If you are visiting the area or are new to the area, we welcome you to our faith communities.
Feel free to contact us and let us know how we can serve you.
Rev. Jose Shaji, Pastor
Mission Statement
Brought together by Christ, we the Parish of St Denis and Our Lady of the Wayside, respond to His call to live our Catholic faith.
Christians Without Compromise
by Catherine Doherty
Today the mystery of iniquity and the mystery of love are confronting each other visibly, palpably.
It is truly a strange sight to behold. Perhaps it is precisely because the fire of love is
among us in so visible a manner that the anger of the Prince of Darkness is drawn forth.
In every city, in every town and village of the world, these two mysteries confront each other,
simultaneously revealing the poverty of some Christians and the wealth of others. Is it any
wonder then that those who do not believe in God obtain more reasons for their unbelief than
ever before? For nothing repels people from religion more than the hypocrisy of those who only
give it lip service.
But the problem is deeper than this visible appearance. Exactly why are there Christians who refuse
others the justice and love which God demands of those who would enter his kingdom of peace?
Christian hearts which should be filled with love for everyone are often filled with hate. Christian hearts
that should seek peace often talk and shout of war. Christian hearts which should be worshiping only one
God create for themselves a thousand other gods and live by values that do not even remotely resemble the
gospel of Jesus Christ.
What are the reasons for this tragic state of affairs? Is it ignorance? Has our Christian formation and training been so
appalling that it hasn't taught the essence of our faith – which is the commandment of love?
Why is there so much rationalization, so much compromise? Perhaps one answer is that God permits it to happen so that we
reexamine our consciences about his commandment of love, and begin to realize that there is a
mystery of iniquity at work, a Prince of Darkness. Realizing this, we will begin anew to fight
him by facing squarely the great reality of Christ, by taking up the weapons of prayer and fasting
with which to exorcise Satan from our personal and national lives.
We must forget our own needs and be concerned – consumed – by the needs of others. I cry
out to the Lord for all of us Church members, we who are so many and so powerful. I ask him to cleanse our
hearts of any hatred for the "other," whoever that other may be. I ask him to cleanse us especially of any hatred
or fear of our brothers and sisters in minority groups. I cry to God for those who write and speak without
any peace in their hearts, without any charity. I pray that their words become rooted in the word of God so
that they may bring peace, friendship and tranquility to the hearts of others. I beg God that everyone,
everywhere, may become instruments of his peace – not seeking to be consoled, loved and understood, but
to love, to console and to understand.
The problem is that we Christians do not understand that the world is hungry for the reality that is Christ.
A sense of deep sadness comes over me when I think of how Christians sit on the fence. Have we forgotten
that we are followers of a crucified Christ? Have we forgotten that from the moment he began preaching
he walked in the shadow of death? Have we forgotten that following him means taking great risk and living
dangerously?
It seems that we have spent centuries trying to eliminate the risk and the danger of his call. It seems that
we have cushioned the risk and practically eliminated any and all danger by drawing up a set of moral rules
that give us security instead of holy insecurity; rules that lull our conscience to sleep instead of making it
wide awake and ready to undertake the risks of living as a Christian.
I wonder how long we can sit on the fence of compromising the gospel. God is not mocked! We have to
begin to love one another in the fullest sense of Christ's teaching. But to do so we must pray. It is only
through prayer that one can follow Christ to Golgotha and up onto the other side of his cross, and
become free through this ascension.
How simple and how timely the gospel is. In it lie the answers to our problems. The gospel is a light shining
in the darkness. Why is it then that we who are Christians refuse to even try the clear answers of the
gospel? Why do we wish to constantly compromise,water down and eliminate from the gospel whatever is
too hard for us? Why settle for such a pale reflection of his strong words and loving teachings?
We seem to have tried everything that our intelligence and genius can come up with. But so far, if we are to
be judged by the fruits of the tree, we certainly have not succeeded. Nor are we leaving our children a better
world to live in. On the contrary, we are leaving them a more chaotic world than even the one we
inherited.
The immense problems of war, of social injustice, of the thousand and one ills that beset our world, these
can be solved only if we begin to love one another. When we begin to see, love, respect and reverence
Christ in the eyes of another, then he will change, and society will change also. Why then do we not try the way of love, the way of
the gospel? Why do we not apply the gospel without compromise to our personal, national and international
life?
Adapted from Gospel Without Compromise by Catherine Doherty.
Copyright: Madonna House Publications – With Permission under a
Creative Commons License.
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