Jesus’ Call to Share Our Faith with Others, Not Just for Some but For All

Sunday, June 19, 2005
Jeremiah 20:10-13
Psalm 69:8-10,14,17,33-35
Romans 5:12-15
Matthew 10:26-33

Click here for the Readings

A friend once confided that there were certain topics her family considered rude to discuss with others. Religion was one of them. Many people share this view, often out of fear that conversations about religion may provoke conflict or discord. However, this is hardly the approach that Jesus urged his disciples to take: “What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops” (Matthew 10:27).

For some people, spreading the gospel seems to come easily. For others, the very idea strikes fear in our hearts. Perhaps we need to pay some attention to the “what you hear whispered” part of Jesus’ command. We are not sent out to evangelize on our own! Through the Holy Spirit, God is at work in and through us. Day in and day out, the Spirit wants to whisper the truths of the gospel to our hearts. “You are precious to me. I have counted every hair on your head. Don’t be afraid. I have given my all for you. Trust me. I love you.”

Here’s the best part: When the Spirit whispers to us, the truths he speaks actually bring about in us the realities they describe. They don’t just fill us with knowledge about what to say. They transform and empower us to proclaim what we have heard in the depths of our being.

At Mass today, just before you receive the Eucharist, listen for the Spirit. Give him a chance to speak to you. You can count on him to tell you the truth and to give you all you need for announcing it to others. Over time, these intimate encounters with your Lord—especially the ones you experience in times of deepest need—will have their effect. Like the disciples, you will be more than willing to “proclaim upon the housetops” the truths that God has whispered in your heart.

““Jesus, I am ready to listen to every whisper of your Holy Spirit. May my words and my whole life proclaim your love and power from the housetops!”

Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men

1. In what ways is the first reading one of hope, even though we hear Jeremiah cry out to the Lord in the midst of great inner suffering and turmoil? deeply?
    

2. The life of Jeremiah is often considered a prefigurement of the life of Jesus. How do the first reading passages foreshadow the sufferings of Christ
    

3. In what way is the responsorial psalm, like the first reading, one of hope and trust in the midst of great suffering? Share a time when your own faith and trust in the Lord were able to sustain you during a difficult time.
    

4. In the second reading from Romans, St. Paul tells us that, “the gift is not like the transgression.” How would you explain this passage to someone who didn’t understand it?
    

5. In the Gospel, we here these words of Jesus; “Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father” (Matthew 10:32-33). Do you find these passages convicting to you in terms of how you share your faith with others? Why or why not?
    

6. What are some of the obstacles that seem to keep you from sharing your faith with others? What steps can you take to overcome these obstacles?
    

7. In the meditation, we hear these words, on how to receive the Eucharist: “At Mass today, just before you receive the Eucharist, listen for the Spirit. Give him a chance to speak to you. You can count on him to tell you the truth and to give you all you need for announcing it to others. Over time, these intimate encounters with your Lord—especially the ones you experience in times of deepest need—will have their effect. Like the disciples, you will be more than willing to “proclaim upon the housetops” the truths that God has whispered in your heart.” Try this at the next several Masses and share the impact it has had on how you received the Eucharist and on your willingness to share you faith with others.