With the 4th of July already in the rearview mirror I refuse to buy into the idea that summer is “over” just because the Fourth has come and gone. Not in my book. With this being the second week of my four-minute homilies there are still 80 days until autumn begins—and the return of the longer homily—so let’s enjoy summertime.

Our readings for this 14th week of Ordinary Time provides us with the key themes of comfort from Isaiah, St. Paul‘s letter to the Galatians notes we bear the marks of Jesus, if we are truly His disciples, and no one shall make troubles for us; that we are we safe in the Lord. And from Luke we hear “that the Kingdom of God is at hand…” and know this: "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Comfort, steadfastness in discipleship, and a clarion call to put our faith into action and so work for Leadership, both ordained priesthood and lay.

As we listen to these readings in the midst of our culture and in the Church today, we hear these living Scriptures speak to us. And while they may speak differently to individuals, clearly they speak a common message about the lived-practice of our faith in our families, workplaces and in the public arena. They speak to us personally. And as noted in last week’s readings they speak about our individual commitments to faith/Christ and the ways in which we put those commitments in to action—Catholic Action—to be more precise. How do we wear our faith? Is it a cloak that we wear comfortably and at all times, or is it a cloak that we put on and take off, depending about the circumstance in which we find ourselves? If the table conversation is too difficult, do we hold back on our beliefs; if we are challenged on a personal level—do we seek exemptions to “faith”?

Isaiah records for us “Thus says the Lord:” and to paraphrase Rejoice in faith, for from our faith in God we shall be abundantly blessed; we shall be comforted and given amazing prosperity (and not just materially) by holding on to what we believe and to the level in which we employ our faith to life’s situations. St. Paul reminds us that Christ is our armor in this “battle” of believing faith and trying to live it out in our circumstances of life. Luke then reminds us that from lived-faith, we are called to work for its growth. Simply put, that is called
Discipleship.

It seems pretty simple. Believe it. Live it. Share it: Our Faith. And when people actually understand what God, through Christ His Son, asks of us—when we know not just the “Thou Shall Not” of our faith but when we know the “Why” of Christ’s teachings, then we can accept them as Truth and begin to incorporate them into our actions of everyday life. We can Believe it. Live it. Share it. That is discipleship.

The Gospel asks us to “…ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” And more often than not most Catholics think of this in the vein of priestly vocations. While that is one important point of this scripture reading it equally applies to the cultivation of discipleship in general. While we as a Church must pray for more priestly vocations we also need to encourage those who feel called by God to priesthood, religious life and diaconate to discern their call. Our culture today—and even our Catholic families—are hesitant to promote priesthood. And I understand that. The sex abuse scandal, the growth of NONES and much more leans heavy against priestly life. Yet if we are to be honest, while the abuse scandal is horrific and immoral, it does not nor can it define the priesthood—as it is limited in numbers, Thanks be to God! In reality the bigger obstacles to priestly life are cultural issues. Upon my ordination and assignment to St. Mark the Evangelist in West Hartford, on my first Sunday, a mother there told me that she would love her son to be a priest, but she also wants him to be “successful.” When I asked her what made one successful, she enumerated the ideals of income, retirement, and a “beach house.” As faith and the practice of it become less important among American Catholics, the priesthood will struggle to reach the numbers needed to support Catholic families.

Cultivating more priests is found in building Catholic families: families that pray grace before a meal in recognition of God’s blessings, families that not only attend Mass but are proactively involved in parish ministries and programs, families that put an “equal” priority on receiving the Eucharist or attending faith formation classes as is placed on the Sunday soccer or hockey games. While no one is asking people to give up sports or family events or other activities of life which build the family too as well as the community—what is being asked by God is to consider what leads us to Eternal Life, e.g., discipleship and active participation in our faith, and then to act on it.

At St. Catherine of Siena we are blessed with many active and fully participating families. We can always do better—and we shall strive to achieve a greater practice of the faith by even more families by spreading Christ’s Truths, by encourage right relationships with God and with our brothers and sisters, and by encouraging all to recognize and to utilize their God-given talents to build up His Church and welcome more on to the path to eternal life.

The main intent of our Forward with Faith campaign and program is to do just that. Spread the
Truth and encourage us all to Believe it. Live it. Share it. Forward with Faith.