Today especially, we are reminded of the New Commandment issued by the Lord the night before he died. Our Gospel reading brings us back to that Last Supper, when Jesus gathered with his closest companions and opened his heart to them. His heart overflowed with love that night, as he washed their feet and instituted the Sacrament of His Body and Blood. Love motivated all that he said and did. And he taught that Love was to be the distinguishing mark of the Christian. "This is how all will know that you are my disciples," he said, "if you have love for one another."
Being a Christian is much more than being a member of a social club. Being a Christian means having an urgent, important mission in life. It means being another Christ in the world—loving God and loving others as he does.
Jesus gave his very life in order to fulfill his Father's will and win salvation for sinners. And so, each one of us is called to reproduce in the unique circumstances of our lives that exact same pattern: discovering and fulfilling God's will, and striving to help as many people as possible know, love, and follow Christ.
Is your life marked by love? Love for the Holy Trinity. Love for the Blessed Mother and the Saints? Love for the Truth of the Gospel? Love for your fellow parishioners? Love for Christians on the other side of the world? Love for those who grate you the wrong way?
Love is to be clearly manifested in our lives. Love displayed in your life and mine is how God wishes to draw non-believers to Christ. Love that is patient, kind, selfless, and pure will draw others to God who is the source of Love. If our life is filled not with love but sourness, bitterness, disobedience toward the law of Christ, hypocrisy, irreverence towards the Church, why would people even consider Christianity?
Certainly, one of the biggest obstacles to the spread of the Catholic faith, is the counter-witness given by Catholics fail to love, by clergy and laity—of course—who proclaim Christ as Lord, and yet, disregard his teaching—his example—his command to love.
India's great leader for independence, Mahatma Gandhi, famously commented on this phenomenon. He had been educated in western universities, where he was exposed to the beautiful teachings of Jesus. But he was also exposed to the hypocrisy of people who called themselves Christ's followers, but made little effort to follow Christ's teachings. Reflecting on his experience, he said: "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Gandhi could have been converted, if one more Catholic took their faith more seriously: Catholics who put aside their racism, or their economic self-interest, and stood with Gandhi for human rights, fasting with him, praying with him.
To be fair, I also think Gandhi was a bit hypocritical. One of Gandhi’s famous sayings sums up his own mission for peace, he said, “be the Change you wish to see in the world.” It’s a great idea. Be the change. You want to see change in the world, in the church, in your family. Be the change. But, if Gandhi was scandalized by the failure of Christians to live up to commands of Christ, he could have taken up the invitation himself, and been the change he wished to see in the Church. If you don’t think Christians are trying hard enough, then you try it, be the Christian we are called to be.
It reminds me of another quote I saw on the internet recently. Saying I don’t go to Church because of the hypocrites I find there, is like saying I don’t go to the gym because of the out of shape people.” We come to Church precisely because we are not the Christians we should be, we are sinners who need a savior. Our souls are out of shape, we are overly attached to earthly passions, we like Peter are deathly afraid of the cross, so we come here, week after week, in order to learn from Our Lord’s example, that we might have the courage to love as our Lord taught.
St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta gave a wonderful lesson on love, when she said:
"People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. Love them anyway.
If you do good, people may accuse you of selfish motives. Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you may win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway."
Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.
People who really want help may attack you if you help them. Help them anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you may get hurt. Give the world your best anyway.
Why? Because in the final analysis, all of this is between you and God…It was never between you and them anyway."
Whatever excuses we find not to be filled with the love of Christ. Let us love, anyway.
Speaking of Charity. We have a wonderful opportunity to practice selfless Christ-like Love this weekend in our Catholic Charities Follow-Up In-Pew Appeal.
During Last Year’s May Follow-Up weekend, over $750k was raised to expand treatment for people with addiction. Catholic Charities was able to use those funds to expand treatment services throughout all 8 counties of the diocese, and recently opened a new treatment facility in Akron.
This weekend, the Follow-up In-Pew Appeal will focus on raising funds for those with developmental, physical, and mental disabilities at Camp Christopher. Camp Christopher has served youth and adults with disabilities for over 95 years, and donations raised through this weekend’s Follow-Up Appeal will be invested in Camp Christopher’s Disability Camps for camperships, cabin renovations for ADA compliance, and continue those programs and service for campers with special needs which make such an impact in their lives.
Camp Christopher has been a longstanding place of goodwill in our diocese. And our donations this weekend ensure that we can continue this wonderful service for those with disabilities, while easing the financial burdens of their families. Sharing our own financial blessings answers the Gospel call to love our neighbor. We may never meet the people who benefit from our charity, but let us love then anyway.
Through the generosity of an anonymous donor, all new, increased or additional gifts this weekend will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $100k. So please, be generous.
We will now take a few moments to fill out the envelopes already in the pews. The envelopes can be placed in the offertory baskets. On behalf of Bishop Perez and those who are assisted by our donations, thank you for your generosity.
May our giving of our time, talent, and treasure deepen our love of God and neighbor for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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