BE BOLD TO DEFEND OUR FAITH & ETHOS OF CHRISTIANITY


A person goes into a new place for a particular purpose. There s/he does not know anyone but s/he manages to live and get the work done. In that place s/he receives a respect that each ordinary human being deserves. After sometime s/he comes back to her/his native place, where s/he is welcomed by everyone in the village, enquired about the health condition, given special eatables, the conversations are long which includes some personal questions… whey does a person get more attention in a native place and not the same in the new place? The answer is simple; in the native place, people know the person from her/his birth, they knew her/him as child of so and so, they know her/his mother and father. In the new place s/he is a stranger, no identity except that of s/he being a human being. Yes, the people who know the parents eventually respect and show courtesy toward their children. This is the analogy that St. John applies in the second reading (1Jn 3:1-2) As believers in Christ, we are children of our God. We receive special care in the community of believers and in heaven. The world that acts against Christian ethos and Christian lifestyle shows hatred toward us (Christians) because they don’t know our God the Father. Amidst the people who do not know our God (father-parents) we are strangers, our lifestyle becomes wired; consequently we get the treatment that of a stranger.

Our God is the creator of the whole universe. Amidst the entire creature it is only human creature which gets the privilege of being called as children of God – sons and daughters of God. All the creatures owe their existence to God but it is only human creature that can experience its existence, it is only from human creature that God can get response and hatred. A rich person may have many things to manage and be contented with them. At times when some calamity or unprecedented things arrive, the rich persons’ first concern is to safe guard the children as they being his love, life, treasure and meaning for his existence. This is same with our God, He as good shepherd guards us – the shepherd with vigilance. The hired person leaves the sheep in moments of danger but the owner, the shepherd, gives his life to guard one’s sheep as they being his love, life and treasure. The primary reasons for the shepherd to guard the flock are; 1) the sheep’s are his livelihood, 2) he loves them because he knows each one of them from their birth. For our God we are His livelihood, it is only from us that He can get recognition and love in response. He loves us together with every creature on this universe since He being the source of our birth and existence. God is love. Love always expects love in return. The tragedy that happens in the society due to one side love is a proof that love seeks love in response. Our God, being love seeks our love in response. If it is easy to love those who love us and hate those who hate us, our God would be the easiest person to be loved as He exhibits immense love always towards us, humans.

To accept our God in our lives demands two things that put forth by Jesus; 1) love God & 2) love one’s neighbour. In the first reading (Acts 4:8-12) St. Peter & co bear witness to Jesus in the Sanhedrin. In front of the authorities who chide them to abandoned their preaching about Jesus Christ, they boldly proclaim their allegiance to God through Jesus. Where there is love there is boldness to rebuke all that hinders one to exercise his/her love. St. Peter’s love for God triggered his boldness to speak the truth. As I mentioned earlier, we are living in a world that has ethos which is not just different from but entirely contradicts the ethos of Christianity, our faith. The understanding of abortion and euthanasia as reasonable ethos contradicts our God’s commandment to embrace life – thou shall not kill. In the covid reigning world the life of human being is at stake, it is thoroughly experimented, tested and brutally exploited. We have the duty to defend the life of human being amidst the present crisis. In doing so, we may find ourselves in conflict with the worldly people. Let us be bold like St. Peter in the first reading to defend the truth, to defend our faith, to defend our ethos. As children’s we have the duty to keep the words of our Father (God). May the risen Lord give us His grace to be bold to defend our faith and live our lives as children of God.              

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