Through the Ministry of the Catholic Church and our Perseverance in Faith!

Through the Ministry of the Catholic Church and our Perseverance in Faith!!

It is in the plan of Almighty God that we, his adopted children, are chosen to reach out to souls that are struggling, searching, and praying for salvation within their lives daily.                                                 

Believing in Jesus Christ and in the One who sent him for our salvation is necessary for obtaining that salvation.  “Since without faith it is impossible to please God and attain to the fellowship of his sons, therefore without faith no one has ever attained justification, nor will anyone obtain eternal life but he who endures to the end.”  (CCC 161).

Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to man.  We can lose this precious gift, as St. Paul indiated to St. Timothy.   “Wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience.  By rejecting conscience, certain persons have made shipwreck of their faith.”  To live, grow , and persevere in the faith until the end we must nourish it with the word of God; we must beg the Lord to increase our faith, it must be “working through charity,” abounding in hope, and rooted in the faith of the Church.  (CCC 162).

When we contemplate the blessings of faith even now, as if gazing at a reflection in a mirror, it is as if we already possessed the wonderful things which our faith assures us we shall one day enjoy.   (St. Basil).

It isn’t so much the faith we attempt to hold onto but the ability we have to share this gift that God has given to each of us.  Jesus spoke of this in several passages as parables.  The essence of his explanations were placed in the treasures a man split among his servants to invest and mature the interest that was possible.  Upon returning from a trip he found out how well those who trusted in their master’s gift are the same as what we call faith.  

When anyone is given the blessings of the Church, it isn’t like the servant who buried his master's wealth.   It isn’t a manner of suggesting our talent be used, it is a mandate that we ensure the weaker of our brethren receive the same knowledge of what faith is all about.  Whether you are a catechist, CCD teacher, or an ordained minister, the requirement to spread the faith to others is subject to the most severe scrutiny if one of those souls was lost because we failed to  reach them when the opportunity was present.  When there is one person who needs to be catechised the Holy Spirit will send them to you or me, depending on your particular talent.  In the same way the Holy Spirit, through our gift of reaching out will be placed at that person's feet via writing, preaching, teaching, or just guiding in a way to ensure they’ve received the message of the gospel.

This is evangelization in its purest form and those of us who have been endowed with specific talents cannot ignore the responsibility that is attached to them.  On the day of judgment, by Christ,  we shall be held accountable and those who buried their gifts will be wailing and gnashing their teeth.  Think twice if  your chosen capacity may be too difficult and better to walk away rather than face a harsh judgment.   Titles are nice, but the requirements are a responsibility that each will answer to the judge; Jesus Christ!

Ralph B. Hathaway