Today’s readings hit hard when it comes to our world today. I do Evangelization for a collaborative of parishes, and something I have noticed time and again through our courses and events is that a lot of people do not think deeply about religion.
There seems to be this idea in the world today that as long as Jesus is mentioned and you live a good life, then all religions are exactly the same. I want to challenge this position a little using the second reading from today. Here, Paul is clear that we are not supposed to be divided. For 1,500 years of church history, we had more unity than division. I think it is safe to say that we now have much more division than unity. With thousands of different denominations to choose from, the question should be, what is the Church that Jesus founded, and should it be one?
To me, religion is much more than finding a place that fits my spirituality, I am looking for the Church of Christ that he wanted to be united. I have to imagine that Luther had good intentions and would not have done what he did if he could have seen where we are at today. I don’t think his intention was to fragment the Church into thousands of different churches. I think his intention was to reform the One Church. But here we are today.
The reason I want to bring more and more people into the Catholic Church is that I believe that in spite of all her faults, this is the Church Jesus founded, and the gates of hell shall not prevail. If we believe in one united Church founded by Christ, then we should want to bring everyone into it. If we believe that all denominations are equal and it doesn’t really matter what you believe, then we will not want to bring anyone to the Church.
This is the question for today. Do we believe in the Church founded by Christ, and do we want unity as Paul so desperately wanted in today’s readings? The answer to this question will either inspire action or allow for complacency. Which is it for you? May God bless you today and always!
Tommy Shultz is a Solutions Evangelist for Diocesan. In that role, he is committed to coaching parishes and dioceses on authentic and effective Catholic communication. Tommy has a heart and a flair for inspiring people to live their faith every day. He has worked in various youth ministry, adult ministry, and diocesan roles. He has been a featured speaker at retreats and events across the country. His mission and drive have been especially inspired by St. John Paul II’s teachings. Tommy is blessed to be able to learn from the numerous parishes he visits and pass that experience on in his presentations. Contact him at tshultz@diocesan.com.
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