Making Faith Manifest!

Saturday, October 19, 2024

Eph 1:15-23; Lk 12:8-12

Today’s Gospel emphasizes witnessing to Christ. 

But how would witnessing make sense in the absence of Roman emperors like Diocletian or Nero or religious persecution in the form of crucifixion, feeding to the hungry lions, or burning at the stake? 

What would then witnessing mean for modern Christians?

More often than not, witnessing is associated with courageously responding to external threats or challenges. 

But what about the inner challenges before which many of us kneel in surrender?

Many have left the Church in the past fifty years. But that was not because of external threats!

It is true that many former Christians left the Church when they fell victim to some inner confusion, disappointment, anger, frustration, and moments of indecision and despair. 

The modern temptations are so powerful that Christ is renounced easily. 

This age of reason tempts us to live as if God does not exist. 

We are tempted with a relativist understanding of religion, culture, morality, etc.

Sometimes our allegiance to an ideology replaces our faith. 

This age of unadulterated individualism does not want to look beyond itself or this world. 

The technological advancements have tempted some to consider religion as a mere superstition. 

Some strongly feel that religion is a force of destruction, and it has done more harm than good. 

It is also true that when religious fear is absent, we do not hesitate to call good evil and portray evil as good. 

These and other reasons have led people to disown Christ. 

When we are supposed to proudly witness to the name of Christ, citing one of the above reasons, we turn our backs on Christ. 

On the contrary, if we can hold our heads high to show that Christ is the master of our hearts and destiny and if we can make our faith manifest without any inhibition, that is testifying to Christ in modern times. 

Let us pray that we may courageously bear witness to the name of Christ. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar