Truth In Advertising

18 Oct

[Jesus] said to them,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.”  (Lk 10:2-3)

No one could say that Jesus gathered people around Himself under false pretenses.  Jesus continually told people that if they followed Him they would pay a high price.  But, Jesus also told His followers that if they remained faithful, the price that they paid would be worth it when they arrived in paradise.

Letting people know “what it is” is extremely important.  They cannot buy in to anything unless they have a good idea of what something is.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Luke.  He was the only gentile among the Gospel writers.  Luke was a disciple of St. Paul and Luke was instrumental in writing the Gospel of Luke as well as the Acts of the Apostles, where he delineated for all believers the stories of Jesus’ ministry as well as the struggles and growth of the early Church.

Luke never pulled any punches.  He let people know what the faith was all about.  As a follower of Paul, Luke had a lot of time to interview eyewitnesses to Jesus’ works.  He recorded them faithfully so that others would be able to examine Jesus’ life and come to believe for themselves.

We are called to do much of the same.  We are called, like Luke, to labor in the harvest so that we may bring others to the Lord.  We are reminded that our task may be a “dangerous” one since we are being sent like lambs among wolves.  We know that this world is very unwelcoming when it comes to hearing about the Lord.  Yet, there are people who need to hear about Him so that they can be brought into the fold.

One of the things that I remember Bishop Grutka, the first bishop of the Diocese of Gary, say is, “When we come face to face with our Lord, He is going to ask us the simple question:  ‘Who did you bring with you to my Kingdom?'”  The implication to that thought is quite clear.  Our sacrifices are worth the price as long as we are able to bring someone with us to the Kingdom of God.

FAITH ACTION:  Pray for those who are being called to Church vocations as priests, deacons, sisters, brothers, or dedicated lay ministers that God give them the grace to respond wholeheartedly.  And, while you’re at it, don’t forget to share you faith with someone today.