Share Your Faith - Homily Reflection 5th Sunday OT

(Readings)

Church attendance is falling. In 2014, the Pew Research Group said that of the 32% who identified as baptized Catholics, 41% are no longer practicing. In 1965, 35% of the children born in the US were baptized Catholic; in 2014 only 18%.

This is true in one way or another in every denomination.

How do we stop this? Listen to what the scriptures tell us today. They tell us about preaching the Gospel. They tell us about sharing our faith. They show us that we evangelize in everything we do.

Paul writes, “If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me and woe if I do not preach it.”

Most of you may say I can’t do that.

In a meeting with Vicar General for the Diocese, Fr. Rothell Price, earlier this week, I apologized for my failures as a deacon. He said, “Deacon I have it on good authority you are a good deacon. Not perfect, there was only one that was perfect, but a very good deacon.”

Thank you all, it could have only come from you; but, let me tell you the secret of being a deacon. It is living your life and seeing God in the everyday and telling that experience to the world. It is the same for all of us. I’m just ordained.

If we live our faith then evangelizing the goodness of Jesus Christ in our life is not an option. Living a Catholic Christian life and being alive in your faith is sharing the good news.

Most active Catholics evangelize. It is prayer with and for others, visiting the sick, and visiting strangers. It is inviting people to mass or parish activities, speaking well about the Church, the parish, the priest, and even your deacon.

In all these scripture readings about preaching (Job’s words of lament, Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, and Jesus telling Simon let us go so I may preach for that is the purpose I have come) most will overlook the evangelizing and sharing the gospel of the mother in law.

Simon Peter’s mother in law was sick with fever. Jesus took her hand and helped her get up, and immediately her fever was gone. She waited on them.

She got up and preached to everyone by her everyday life. And, the story spread. It spread fast; by evening the whole town was gathered at the doorway of Simon Peter’s house.  Everyone was looking for Jesus.

Everyone was looking for Jesus because of the mother-in-law’s story and how Jesus touched her life. She fed Jesus. She fed all those who heard her story. She continued to serve Jesus by sharing her story over and over and over.  The mother in law was preaching the gospel and winning people over to follow Jesus before Simon, Andrew, James and John even realized the truth about Jesus.

Sharing your personal story about God in your life is preaching the gospel. It is the simplest form of evangelizing: telling how you were sick or sinful or lost; telling how the Lord came to you; telling how Christ took you by the hand and raised you up.

Sadly, most only want to hear the bad in life. If all that is heard is the part of Job’s story saying “man’s life on earth is drudgery.” And “I shall not see happiness again.”  Not hearing the good news, many surrender to misery.

This is happening. Less and less people sit in the pews.

Less and less people are in the world praising the Lord.

Less and less know our God who is good and gracious.

Less and less people are sharing stories giving glory to Gold and telling of His presence in their life.

Now is our time to preach. Now we must share and witness the Gospel by our lived lives and experience. We must share so others will say that reminds me of a time in my life. Tell the story of Jesus in your life so others can see Jesus in their life.

The truth is that like Job’s not all stories are going to be happy; but, people need to see God even in their suffering, just as Job did.

In our world, church attendance is falling and people deny faith and belief.  

My friends, it is for us all to preach the gospel. Share your story. Share your beliefs. Win over as many as possible to save at least some.

Do this by sharing our faith: Being good, being holy, and preaching the gospel, telling your story by the way you live and love. Amen.