I am lucky.
I live in a community that still calls itself Christian.
But even among Christians,
we know how quickly one will turn on another.
And one of the most painful wounds I’ve seen
is this old accusation:
“Catholics aren’t Christians.”
Years ago, my next‑door neighbor was a Protestant preacher—
a good man, well‑trained,
masters of divinity, devoted to his flock.
He and his family lived beside us for three years.
And before he moved away, he said something
I will never forget:
“I didn’t know Catholics were Christians…
until I met you and your family.”
He didn’t know—
that the Catholic Church,
the Church that gave us the canon of Scripture,
protected the Word,
evangelized the world,
and the father or grandfather
of his own denomination—
is Christian.
My friends, that is the world the Scriptures describe:
“Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us.”
Sometimes the simple act of living the faith
quietly, faithfully,
becomes a challenge to someone else’s assumptions.
But Jesus reminds us:
“One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth
from the mouth of God.”
Our identity does not come from the labels
others place on us.
It comes from the One who sends us.
And in the temple Jesus cries out:
“You know me…
you know where I am from…
I come from the One who is true.”
So we stand in that truth.
We love in that truth.
We witness in that truth.
And sometimes, simply by living as Christians,
we help another discover
that we are, in fact,
brothers.
Prayer
Lord Jesus,
Teach us to stand in the truth
that comes from You alone.
Heal the wounds we inflict
on one another in Your name.
Let our quiet witness
soften hardened assumptions.
Make our lives a living word
that reveals Your Father.
Unite all who call upon You
as brothers and sisters.
And send us forth to love
as those who truly belong to You.
Amen
