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Reflection: Week of August 12, 2007
19th Sunday in ordinary time
By Deacon Bob Crop
When I was in formation to become a Deacon, I remember hearing today's Gospel reading, "Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more" and I thought to myself, "Becoming a Deacon might be a dangerous thing to do!"
Archbishop Chaput had gathered a truly impressive faculty for St. Jean Vianney Seminary and he used them to train Deacon candidates. It was the most outstanding group of professors I had ever experienced even in graduate courses at major universities. However, I thought to myself, "Much will be demanded of me!" Of course, using that logic, it would be best to never take any instruction in the faith at all. Perhaps that's the strategy that many people of the past forty-five years or so have adopted. That is really dangerous. It makes as much sense as not going to school to avoid reading.
It's not just Deacons who need to know and act on our master's will. It's all of us. We are all called to be holy. In the book of Leviticus we hear, "You shall be holy to me; for I the Lord am holy, and I have separated you from the other peoples to be mine." God has promised a great reward to us for living a faith-filled life. St. Paul tells us, "no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him." Think of all the good things of life. Remember all the good feelings and all the joy we have experienced with the ones we love. Think of every good thing that has ever happened to us. God gives us these things as a little taste of what is to come.
Jesus tells us, "Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them." If our reward is to be great then our faith must also be great. Faith doesn't mean that if you just believe everything else is taken care of. Listen to what St. Paul says in the second reading today. "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called." Abraham acted on his faith. Without action faith is only a word. In his epistle St. James tells us, "Faith without works is dead." You see, if you live faith with works, heaven begins in this life here on earth.
Now I want to be clear. The Catholic Church has never taught that we are saved by works. We are saved by the grace of God.
So, let me summarize where we are. We need faith. We need to act on that faith and we need to know the will of God.
Now, with this in mind I want to address the men in our parish. (Ladies, this should interest you, too.) Our culture seems to be targeting men. It says that men aren't necessary. It says that men shouldn't make commitments. It says that men should grab the gusto and let the chips fall where they may. I'm speaking from experience. I have three daughters that are constantly telling me that there are plenty of males out there but very few real men. Most likely if your are reading this you are not in that category but I am challenging you to become part of the solution by becoming leaders among men and change our culture. I am challenging you to learn the will of God so that you may act on your faith. If the Body of Christ is to grow and flourish it needs real men and real women. When I was in diaconal formation I remember wishing that everyone could have this great educational and faith-building experience.
Well here it is, beginning on September 14th; Deacon Steve Stemper is leading a program entitled "That Man is You." It is a scripture based, interactive program focused on the development of men in the modern world. It is faith building, action oriented and knowledge based. It draws on sound science, four thousand years of the Judeo-Christian experience in the Scriptures and Sacred Tradition and the wisdom of the saints. Mao Tse Tung is quoted as saying that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Building a culture of life starts with one man. "That Man is You."