Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter

Today's Mass Readings

…and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians. Acts 11: 23, 26.

R. All you nations, praise the Lord. Ps.117:1a

The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me.

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. John 10: 24.

Once I visited France and stayed with a host family. The family was nominally Catholic. I got to know them and I told them I was Catholic. The father of the family said to me, “Dimanche c’est pour faire du valo,” “Sunday is for biking,” his preferred activity to do on Sunday evidently. I came to see more secularism around France. I visited a Catholic school, and I went to see their Church. I am not someone who is easily shocked by Church buildings, and yet I was dismayed to find that a Catholic school had turned most of the School’s Church into the library. France is classically called the Elder Daughter of the Catholic Faith. It has been Christian for the vast majority of Christian history and now is a sanctuary for secularism. Countries and cultures do change, and the value of faith is not determined by popularity or government mandate. We—you, and I, and all the baptized—carry the mandate to preach our faith in everything we do. I speak of France because it is near and dear to my heart, and you can carry Christ to wherever your heart points to. God is not giving up on the World. We get the opportunity to be light in the World, just as the first Christians were at Antioch. I encourage you and challenge you to treat your life of faith as you were one of the first Christians. You might be the only Gospel message someone hears today. Amen.

Reflection by Br. Matthew Marie, OSB