Sunday 29 June
Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles
Acts 12: 1-11, Ps. 34,2 Timothy 4: 6-8,17-18, Matthew 16: 13-19
Attractive faith
These two great saints have a message for us today when the Church is being persecuted. We must declare without hesitating that Jesus is the Son of God and be prepared to suffer for that. I may not be asked to be a martyr but if my faith is strong and I want to share it I will be persecuted in some, most often subtle, way. If I do not feel that then perhaps my faith is not as strong as I think it is and not as attractive to those who persecute.
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I wonder if we need to change the language we use when we speak of God and Love. I find words such as 'persecution' and 'suffer' and 'faith is strong' discourage me and drain me of hope. I don't think there is a place today for comparative language such as 'not strong enough'. Jesus did not ponder on the quantity or quality of faith. He simply asked for faith. I prefer to focus on becoming attentive to the revelation of divine Love in my everyday, mundane, arduous, even boring, life, and then speaking of this. Invited or uninvited, God is present, everywhere, anywhere. When I listen to grateful parents who are holding down two or three jobs to make a better life for their families, God is revealed. When we stand in awe before a breath-taking sunset, a small part of the mystery of God is revealed. When a struggling solo parent is offered tickets to a show, the generosity of God is revealed. When I have sufficient to meet my needs today, the attentiveness of a loving deity is revealed.
Let's choose a 'glass half full' approach today and speak of the graces and blessings we have each received today. Let's choose a language rich in compassion and gratitude. This is a powerful testimony of the presence of a loving, embracing God.