Posted by The WORD in other words (2023) by Fr Joseph Miras SVD – Canada
Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul
We often think that believing and following God will make us better than others, especially the bad ones. We think that we will become superheroes and expect that others will admire us because we will be more virtuous than others. We become convinced that we will be gifted with a unique character and extraordinary talents.
This might be true, and this might have led the early believers and followers of Christ to believe that it would happen to them. They would be able to drive out demons, speak many languages and pick up serpents, and won’t be harmed if they drink deadly poison.
But these are not gifts to be aspired for by followers of Christ. They are meant to underline their dependence on God in their missionary and evangelizing work. If so, these are only the effects or “by-products” of God’s work. That God is the main actor and followers are only instrumental in the work of God is the focus of discipleship.
The followers may even encounter resistance in the form of physical abuse, persecution or martyrdom, refusal through argumentation, insults, and relentless attacks on personal and institutional weaknesses and failures of the Church and her workers and volunteers. Being a missionary is not an easy invitation to accept and a comforting calling to follow.
Do we dare to be invited and to follow?
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