This was written by Father John Corapi over a year ago, but it's one of those reminders that has no expiration date.
An Unequivocal Moral Obligation for All Christians
by Rev. John Corapi, SOLT, STD
www.fathercorapi.com
Every Catholic and, indeed, every Christian faithful to the Gospel, has the moral obligation to bear witness to the truth, “in season and out of season, convenient or inconvenient,” accepted or rejected. This mandate is nothing new, of course. It’s as old as the Old Testament, and as new as the New Testament. Nonetheless, I’m afraid that it has become more necessary than ever to remind ourselves of it.
The Magisterium formally teaches in the Catechism of the Catholic Church #2471, quoting Sacred Scripture, “Before [Pontius] Pilate, Christ proclaimed the He has ‘come into the world to bear witness to the truth’ (Jn 18:37).
The Christian is not to be ‘ashamed then of testifying to our Lord’ (2 Tm 1:8). In situations that require witness to the faith, the Christian must profess it without equivocation, after the example of St. Paul before his judges. We must keep ‘a clear conscience toward God and toward men’” (Acts 24:16).
Let me give you one definition of equivocation: “A statement that is not literally false but that cleverly avoids an unpleasant truth; intentionally vague or ambiguous.” How about this for an example: “A woman has the right to choose.” Choose what? A less vague, ambiguous, and equivocal statement would be, “A woman (or man) has the right to choose to perpetrate homicide. Or, “A nation has the right to facilitate, enable, or legislate genocide.” Oh, excuse me, that would be an unpleasant truth, or maybe an “inconvenient truth,” as the inventor of the internet, Al Gore, might say.
The Catholic Church unambiguously and formally teaches:
The duty of Christians to take part in the life of the Church impels them [IMPELS THEM] to act as witnesses of the Gospel and the obligations that flow from it. This witness is a transmission of the faith in words and deeds. WITNESS IS AN ACT OF JUSTICE THAT ESTABLISHES THE TRUTH OR MAKES IT KNOWN (see Matthew 18:16).
The recent travesty involving the University of Notre Dame’s invitation to the President of the United States to give the commencement address and receive an honorary doctor of laws degree is the antithesis of Catholic and Christian witness to the truth. A lawyer who vigorously, publicly, and consistently support an anti‐life and anti‐family litany of evils will now receive an honorary doctor of laws degree from what is arguably the most prestigious Catholic University in America. A picture is worth a thousand words. Indeed, what thousand words will be conveyed by the picture(s) of Mr. Obama receiving his honorary doctorate and sending off the graduating class at Notre Dame University?
This will be a dark day indeed for the University of Notre Dame and the Catholic Church that permitted it to happen. In the end the bishops have the right, and the duty, to decide if the University of Notre Dame can any longer claim “Catholic” credentials.
Father Corapi on the Notre Dame scandal
Meanwhile, the obligation to bear witness to the truth weighs more heavily than ever on each one of us. We have rapidly entered into a new era of persecution of the Church and the truth that she professes and teaches, reminding us again,
The disciple of Christ must not only keep faith and live on it, but also profess it,
confidently bear witness to it, and spread it: All however must be prepared to
confess Christ before men and to follow him along the way of the Cross, amidst
the persecutions which the Church never lacks.” (Lumen gentius 42; Dignitatis
Humanae 14). Service of and witness to the faith are necessary for salvation:
“So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven” (Mt 10:32‐33).
Written by Rev. John Corapi on May 14th, 2009
www.fathercorapi.com
God bless you. And this is for His Glory!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
Mi Amore
On very rare occasions you find two people that are inseparable from very first time they meet.
From an early age Adam and Jessica were two people that you knew were always meant to be together. From the first time they met in the second grade everyone could tell they were going to be "boyfriend and girlfriend" some day. As predicated, once they grew older they began dating in junior high school. Rarely did you ever see them apart.
Later, after Adam and Jessica graduated from high school they went on to college and dated all four years of college. It was not long after graduation that Adam proposed and they were married.
Adam and Jessica had a very special relationship. When people saw them together they would say (or think)... "That's the type of relationship that I want."
One evening they were driving home from a New Years Eve party and were hit by a drunk driver. Instantly Adam became a quadriplegic from the impact of the crash.
Jessica was only twenty-five years old at the time and no one would have blamed her if she decided to put Adam in a nursing home to handle the demanding need of a quadriplegic. Sadly, there was nothing anyone could do for Adam. He would most likely remain paralyzed for the rest of his life. However, for Jessica, she had her entire life in front of her...with hopes and dreams that she still wanted to accomplish.
Jessica went to church and prayed for guidance on what to do. It was an extremely burdensome decision for a twenty-five year old. But Jessica had loved Adam from the first moment they met. After praying, she made the decision to put her faith in God and to not only be Adam's caretaker, but to remain his wife. At the young age of twenty-five she was the wife of a man who would never be able to move his arms or legs again.
Friends, family and others who became familiar with the situation could not believe the decision she made. However, it wasn't long before everyone began to understand how deep and loyal Jessica's love for Adam was. Through Adam and Jessica's trials, other people began see the true meaning of love. Through Jesscia's example of selfless love, others began to see how much they took their existing relationships for granted. Others began to pray and thank God for the wonderful gifts in their lives. Others began to pray asking to be blessed with the same depth of love that Jessica showed for Adam. Through Jessica's trials others began to turn toward God.
Out of tragedy, the glorification of God was mobilized through thousands of people as they heard this story of true love. Through Jessica's faith and obedience to God, I wonder how many souls were saved because of her decision?
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13
God bless you. And this if for His Glory!
From an early age Adam and Jessica were two people that you knew were always meant to be together. From the first time they met in the second grade everyone could tell they were going to be "boyfriend and girlfriend" some day. As predicated, once they grew older they began dating in junior high school. Rarely did you ever see them apart.
Later, after Adam and Jessica graduated from high school they went on to college and dated all four years of college. It was not long after graduation that Adam proposed and they were married.
Adam and Jessica had a very special relationship. When people saw them together they would say (or think)... "That's the type of relationship that I want."
One evening they were driving home from a New Years Eve party and were hit by a drunk driver. Instantly Adam became a quadriplegic from the impact of the crash.
Jessica was only twenty-five years old at the time and no one would have blamed her if she decided to put Adam in a nursing home to handle the demanding need of a quadriplegic. Sadly, there was nothing anyone could do for Adam. He would most likely remain paralyzed for the rest of his life. However, for Jessica, she had her entire life in front of her...with hopes and dreams that she still wanted to accomplish.
Jessica went to church and prayed for guidance on what to do. It was an extremely burdensome decision for a twenty-five year old. But Jessica had loved Adam from the first moment they met. After praying, she made the decision to put her faith in God and to not only be Adam's caretaker, but to remain his wife. At the young age of twenty-five she was the wife of a man who would never be able to move his arms or legs again.
Friends, family and others who became familiar with the situation could not believe the decision she made. However, it wasn't long before everyone began to understand how deep and loyal Jessica's love for Adam was. Through Adam and Jessica's trials, other people began see the true meaning of love. Through Jesscia's example of selfless love, others began to see how much they took their existing relationships for granted. Others began to pray and thank God for the wonderful gifts in their lives. Others began to pray asking to be blessed with the same depth of love that Jessica showed for Adam. Through Jessica's trials others began to turn toward God.
Out of tragedy, the glorification of God was mobilized through thousands of people as they heard this story of true love. Through Jessica's faith and obedience to God, I wonder how many souls were saved because of her decision?
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13
God bless you. And this if for His Glory!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Staring Truth in the Face
We've all been in situations where we try to explain an idea, concept, etc... to someone and they JUST DON'T GET IT. But, in saying that...I'm sure we've all been on the opposite side of this equation as well. It's kind of like when people drive while talking on a cell phone...many are virtually oblivious to what's going on around them...they are so totally engrossed in the conversation that they pay little attention to the other cars on the road.
There are similarities to this example in John 18. It's where Jesus was arrested and the people were demanding that He be put to death. During the ordeal, Jesus and Pontius Pilate have a short conversation (as Pilate is trying to figure out exactly what it is that Jesus is being accused of)...
35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews...
John 18:35-38
The part I want to place your attention on is verse 38, when Pilate asks..."What is truth?" The irony of this is that Pontius Pilate asks Jesus "what is truth?" as he is standing there staring Truth right in the face! Jesus Christ is the TRUTH.
"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6
It's clear that Pilate was oblivious to the "truth" that Jesus came to redeem the sins of the world...and most importantly that He was the Son of God.
Some people are oblivious to the truth, others just don't want to hear it, and some hear it, understand it, but choose to either ignore it or pick the parts that best fit in to their daily lives. Jesus Christ proclaimed the truth of God's Word in the first four books of the New Testament (which are called The Gospels) - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Never let the truth slip from your grasp. Study it...so that you never find yourself staring at the thorns instead of the rose.
“The optimist sees the rose and not its thorns; the pessimist stares at the thorns, oblivious to the rose”
-Kahili Gibran
God bless you. And this is for His Glory!
There are similarities to this example in John 18. It's where Jesus was arrested and the people were demanding that He be put to death. During the ordeal, Jesus and Pontius Pilate have a short conversation (as Pilate is trying to figure out exactly what it is that Jesus is being accused of)...
35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews...
John 18:35-38
The part I want to place your attention on is verse 38, when Pilate asks..."What is truth?" The irony of this is that Pontius Pilate asks Jesus "what is truth?" as he is standing there staring Truth right in the face! Jesus Christ is the TRUTH.
"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6
It's clear that Pilate was oblivious to the "truth" that Jesus came to redeem the sins of the world...and most importantly that He was the Son of God.
Some people are oblivious to the truth, others just don't want to hear it, and some hear it, understand it, but choose to either ignore it or pick the parts that best fit in to their daily lives. Jesus Christ proclaimed the truth of God's Word in the first four books of the New Testament (which are called The Gospels) - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Never let the truth slip from your grasp. Study it...so that you never find yourself staring at the thorns instead of the rose.
“The optimist sees the rose and not its thorns; the pessimist stares at the thorns, oblivious to the rose”
-Kahili Gibran
God bless you. And this is for His Glory!
Friday, June 11, 2010
"I require Heroism"
The Congressional Medal of Honor is the top service award bestowed upon those in the armed service of the United States of America. The Medal of Honor is given to those who have distinguished themselves through their gallantry in action, in which they went above and beyond the call of duty. In many cases the award is given posthumous after the recipient has passed, usually due to injuries sustained during the heroic act.
The Medal of Honor is a symbol of bravery, sacrifice, courage, and selflessness. It's when a person puts the the well being of others above his own self interests.
The cross is a symbol as well.
Because it was at THE CROSS that Jesus made His brave and selfless sacrifice. It was at the cross where God allowed and willed his only begotten Son to die for our sins.
It was the ultimate act of heroism and love.
Jesus' suffering and death on the cross was and still is the single most significant event in human history. I can think of nothing more brutal or more painful than what happened to our Lord on that day.
As Christians, we sometimes carry and even wear the symbol of Christ's love for us. It is the symbol of the cross. The cross is a direct reminder of God's immeasurable love.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
John3:16
Jesus' death on the cross was indeed an act of heroism. He knew what He was destined to do... He was destined to teach God's word to those around Him, heal and perform miracles for those lost or undecided about their faith, die on the cross, rise, bestow the apostles with the Holy Spirit... and thus change the world forever.
If we are to walk in the footsteps of Christ, I believe that we too need perform acts of heroism. It doesn't have to be something big, but it does need to be a personal sacrifice. For example, it could be something like getting up a half hour early each morning and praying.
It's the little acts of heroism that add up and it's the daily sacrifices that God silently requires us to make in order to thank Him for the gift of another day.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24
So think about it...
What will your next act of heroism be?
God bless you. And this is for His Glory!
The Medal of Honor is a symbol of bravery, sacrifice, courage, and selflessness. It's when a person puts the the well being of others above his own self interests.
The cross is a symbol as well.
Because it was at THE CROSS that Jesus made His brave and selfless sacrifice. It was at the cross where God allowed and willed his only begotten Son to die for our sins.
It was the ultimate act of heroism and love.
Jesus' suffering and death on the cross was and still is the single most significant event in human history. I can think of nothing more brutal or more painful than what happened to our Lord on that day.
As Christians, we sometimes carry and even wear the symbol of Christ's love for us. It is the symbol of the cross. The cross is a direct reminder of God's immeasurable love.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
John3:16
Jesus' death on the cross was indeed an act of heroism. He knew what He was destined to do... He was destined to teach God's word to those around Him, heal and perform miracles for those lost or undecided about their faith, die on the cross, rise, bestow the apostles with the Holy Spirit... and thus change the world forever.
If we are to walk in the footsteps of Christ, I believe that we too need perform acts of heroism. It doesn't have to be something big, but it does need to be a personal sacrifice. For example, it could be something like getting up a half hour early each morning and praying.
It's the little acts of heroism that add up and it's the daily sacrifices that God silently requires us to make in order to thank Him for the gift of another day.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24
So think about it...
What will your next act of heroism be?
God bless you. And this is for His Glory!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Jacob's Well
It was a typical blistering Saturday afternoon in the middle of August in Tempe, Arizona and Bobby was making his way down a rural stretch of road that was void of any buildings for over 50 miles. Bobby had decided to go out for a ride on his new Honda Motard motorcycle and was planning on enjoying a few hours of wind and road.
Fifteen minutes into the ride, Bobby noticed another biker parked on the side of the road. It looked like the guy was having some sort of trouble, so Bobby stopped and asked the guy if he needed any help.
After over an hour working on the Harley in the 115 degree heat, Bobby eventually helped the guy get his bike working well enough to ride. Bobby insisted that he'd follow the guy home (45 miles from the current location) to make sure he made it back without any difficulty.
Before the guy on the Harley turned down the street toward his house, he waved Bobby over and handed him his business card. Bobby pulled out his wallet and did the same. Each gave the other a silent wave and off they went in separate directions. Bobby never even considered the fact that he had gone out of his way. He was in the mindset that if a fellow biker needed help, then he would help. It was just an unwritten rule of the road.
* * *
What this story doesn't tell you is that the guy on the Harley was actually the CEO of the same company that Bobby worked for. It wasn't until Bobby got home and cleaned out his pockets that he read the business card. He nearly choked on his Coke when he read the title... "CEO".
After reading the business card, Bobby's shock must have closely resembled the Samaritan women who spoke with Jesus at Jacob's Well in John 4. Here Jesus tells her that He knows who she is, the number of husbands that she's had, and that He is the Christ. I can't help but try and picture the look that must have been on the woman's face when she heard those words. I'm sure you could have heard a pin drop.
Fifteen minutes into the ride, Bobby noticed another biker parked on the side of the road. It looked like the guy was having some sort of trouble, so Bobby stopped and asked the guy if he needed any help.
After over an hour working on the Harley in the 115 degree heat, Bobby eventually helped the guy get his bike working well enough to ride. Bobby insisted that he'd follow the guy home (45 miles from the current location) to make sure he made it back without any difficulty.
Before the guy on the Harley turned down the street toward his house, he waved Bobby over and handed him his business card. Bobby pulled out his wallet and did the same. Each gave the other a silent wave and off they went in separate directions. Bobby never even considered the fact that he had gone out of his way. He was in the mindset that if a fellow biker needed help, then he would help. It was just an unwritten rule of the road.
* * *
What this story doesn't tell you is that the guy on the Harley was actually the CEO of the same company that Bobby worked for. It wasn't until Bobby got home and cleaned out his pockets that he read the business card. He nearly choked on his Coke when he read the title... "CEO".
After reading the business card, Bobby's shock must have closely resembled the Samaritan women who spoke with Jesus at Jacob's Well in John 4. Here Jesus tells her that He knows who she is, the number of husbands that she's had, and that He is the Christ. I can't help but try and picture the look that must have been on the woman's face when she heard those words. I'm sure you could have heard a pin drop.
The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."
The point is that we never really know who we are going to meet throughout our journey in life. Many people that we meet, might only be placed in our lives for a short time. Others might be with us for many years. However, one thing is for certain...we will all see Christ one day and stand before Him to give account.
As you walk down this road in life, allow others see Christ in you so that you can see (and enjoy) the surprise on their face as you remain obedient to God and emulate the footsteps of Christ.
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