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“God does not call the equipped, but He equips the called.” After hearing this reminder in a recent Sunday homily, it has brought me further moments of reflection. Who are the called?
Each of us are christened as children of God, and yes, we are those who are called. Not only religious brothers and sisters are “called”, but each and every Christian who is sent out to share the Gospel message in his own time and place.
I am sure that many Christians throughout the centuries have wondered, why am I placed in this situation and into this terrible anti-life and anti-love culture? Why couldn’t I have faced a world that was kinder, gentler, and more virtuous? How am I supposed to become a saint when I am surrounded by evil and misunderstanding?
Standing Out?
Amidst the constant barrage of secular media updates and upsetting supreme court rulings, one is sorely tempted to lose hope. I argue with myself about whether or not I should just ignore it all and proceed with my life as normally as I can. This seems to often be the best route in dealing with the tragic news topics.
But then I wonder, is this attitude just an evasion of my duties as a follower of Jesus Christ? How will I show my children the right and proper way to deal with the confusion of our world, and how can I instill a desire within their hearts to rise up against injustice in our world? Often this means pursuing virtue silently, on our own.
But sometimes it means standing out, and experiencing humiliation in the process.
Saints and Inspiration
The saints surely caused attention. They did not seek notice or criticism, but the intense and dedicated ways in which they lived their lives merited attention from others—sometimes good, but often negative attention. They did not only think about what they should do and how they should live, but they acted on it also. We must pray for a deep commitment to virtue, and implore our Lord to strengthen our faith.
We must believe with all of our hearts that He will guide, strengthen, and equip us for following His plan. Perhaps He does want us to walk silently, humbly, in our world, and to persevere in patience. But perhaps He also wants us to become more dramatic lovers of life, who would be willing to risk our public appearance for the sake of the truth.
There are many inspiring examples of young people who are making a difference in our world. For instance, Lila Rose is the president of Live Action, an organization which has worked undercover to expose the evil of organizations like Planned Parenthood. Lila is a young woman in her twenties, who has not been afraid to battle the evil of abortion face to face, and to take many personal risks in the process.
Another young person whose example I am thankful for is the popular blogger Matt Walsh. Yes, Matt has a gift for writing, but he began as a strong believer like the rest of us, and has not backed down to the storm of negative public backlash for speaking and writing the truth in the online world. For this reason, he has gained great attention and is impacting many people who may never otherwise hear the truth spoken on important worldly issues. In our digital world, Matt is able to continually use his online presence to evangelize our culture.
Examples of Enthusiasm
I am thankful for the example of these people, young and old, well known or obscure, who have affected me with their courage and enthusiasm. I believe that each of us are called to spread this excitement and desire for truth all around us and in our local communities.
When we react strongly about an issue, and actually take the time to act on it, we are sending the most important message to our children that we can: this is something worthy of my time and effort, because what else is more important? My children surely catch on to what is important to me by observing my daily habits and ideals.
Thus I am thankful to my parents for insisting on the value of participating in worthy activities such as the local Right to Life events, and for giving me a desire to share the message of life with my own children.
May we grow ever deeper in our desire to serve God, as He equips us to be His disciples in this time and place.
