Brothers and Sisters,
We should understand and embrace the fact that as you grow in your faith, it isn’t necessarily going to be accepted or comfortable to everyone. This is a big theme in this week’s readings. In the Gospel, Jesus says that he didn’t come to bring peace, but division. When we grow in our love of our faith, we also grow in our love of what God has revealed to us both in His Word and what is written on our hearts and in our very nature as human beings. The more we love God, the more we love the truth. The more we love the truth, the more we realize the importance of defending it. When we defend the truth revealed by God, a truth that can be inconvenient at times, and goes against what our culture believes at times, people aren’t going to like what you have to say or how you live. They are going to feel uncomfortable and opposed to our beliefs. It happened to Jeremiah, as he was thrown into a mud pit. It happened to the Apostles as they were martyred. It also happened to Jesus himself! We’re starting to hear more and more these days about people who sincerely desire to live their faith and defend the truth being called intolerant or hateful, simply because they don’t agree with the popular stances on the issues of our society. We need to stand on the truth, and embrace it as an opportunity to grow closer to Christ. Christ has come to set our hearts on fire. Let Him fan the flames of faith alive in our own hearts, so that we might have a light to guide ourselves and others to the glory of God’s Kingdom.
God Bless,
Deacon Howard
