Congratulations, John, on being received into the Catholic Church, and celebrating the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist. Thank you for letting all of us here today welcome you and rejoice with you.
If I didn’t know better, I’d think the readings today were chosen especially for you on this wonderful occasion. In our first reading, we heard St. Paul present a series of behaviors for the new Gentile Christians of his time that would help them grow spiritually in their relationship with God and others, behaviors we all can practice. The heart of all of them is charity. The first half of his list, directed to loving God and others, is worth repeating:
‘Let love be sincere;
hate what is evil,
hold on to what is good;
love one another with mutual affection;
anticipate one another in showing honor.
Do not grow slack in zeal,
be fervent in spirit,
serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope,
endure in affliction,
persevere in prayer.’
These alone are quite challenging! And yet to Paul, all talk about our relationship with God was worthless unless it made a difference in how followers of Christ treated and served people. Paul sets the bar high for his listeners and is urging those new Christians, and now us, to pull together to work for the common good. He urges us to put cultural differences aside, use our unique gifts and talents well, and love one another. So, Paul continues with his list of behaviors for how to treat and serve others:
‘Contribute to the needs of the holy ones,
exercise hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you,
bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice,
weep with those who weep.
Have the same regard for one another;
do not be haughty but associate with the lowly.’
A witness of these actions is St. Charles Borremeo whose feast is today. Born in the 15th century (1538-1584), Charles became a Cardinal and a key figure in the Counter-Reformation. Besides helping to reform the Church, he spent his life serving others, especially the plague victims. A quote of his that reflects his faith, duty and discipleship is:
"We have only one life and we should spend it for Jesus Christ and souls, not as we wish, but at the time and in the way God wishes".
As we have joyfully welcomed John into the Church and to the Lord’s Eucharistic table today, may we all experience the joy of being welcomed into the eternal banquet of the kingdom when our one earthly life is over.
