How can my life be a testimony of God’s goodness?
You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
Today’s world seems somewhat infatuated with a future apocalyptic time. Uber Wealthy people build doomsday bunkers that would survive a nuclear explosion. We have approximately 70 million more guns than we have people in the USA (meaning every American could have a gun and we’d still have an extra 70 million on hand). Trillions are invested in retirement funds. People are scared to death about what the future may hold yet claim to be too busy to spend an hour a week at Church. What is happening? This doesn’t sound like a world that is relying on the fact that Jesus came to earth and died for each of us. It sounds like a world where we are trying to take control, when in reality we have very little control of what will occur in our lifetime.
Our earthly journey is short. We have a very short period of time to positively impact the world and reflect our appreciation in all that was given to us by Jesus journey on the cross. If all of the 1.2 billion Catholics lived in the way the Lord wanted us to, we could eliminate so many of the world’s problems. I assume this doesn’t happen because we are scared or feel that our contributions are simply inadequate. I recently finished reading a book that challenged the reader to think what the Church would look like if every member acted in the same manner the person who is reading the book. A great starting point for each us of would be to ask ourselves: Would the Catholic Church be better if every Catholic lived like I am? If so, then I should continue living in the manner that I am. Or would the Catholic Church be worse off if every person live like I do? If so, then I may want to make a change for the better.
Let’s each commit to allowing ourselves to be the hands and feet of Christ on earth. Let’s find comfort in the words from Luke’s Gospel “You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.” Let’s commit to following Him in a way that raises the bar for all Catholics. Let’s challenge ourselves to be a true testimony of God’s goodness.
-Chris Kozlowski
