Witnessing the Truth of Christ

By Bishop Paul S. Loverde
Special to the Herald
(From the issue of 1/20/05)

The following homily was given by Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde at the Mass celebrating the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, on Jan. 16, 2005, at St. Joseph Church in Alexandria.

One word summarizes so well the lesson which the Lord is teaching us through the Scriptures of today’s Mass, especially through the Gospel. That one word is "witness." In our understanding, a witness is someone who has seen an incident or has recognized a truth and can give evidence for it. But, for the Jewish people, the meaning of witness went deeper. A witness was someone who testifies to the truth at the expense, even, of his life.

In today’s Gospel account, we see John the Baptist acting like a witness. He clearly testified to the truth that Jesus is the Son of God. "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world …. Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God." Later, John would witness in a much deeper way by the giving up of his life as a martyr for Christ.

There are many ways to describe our roles and responsibilities as the disciples of Jesus Christ and members of His Body the Church. One way is being projected before us today. Like John the Baptist, we are witnesses to the Lord Jesus. So, let us reflect together on what it means for us to be witnesses to Jesus, witnesses in Jesus and witnesses with Jesus.

We are witnesses to Jesus. By our words and even more by our example, we point to Jesus as Lord and Saviour, the true Lamb of God. Moreover, we point Him out to others through our continuing efforts to evangelize and to catechize. To evangelize is to bring Jesus and the Truth of His Gospel into every sphere of human activity: into our homes, our neighborhoods, our places of work or study, our communities. To evangelize is to make clear that Jesus is the only Way through the maze of this life, the ultimate Answer to all our questions and the absolute source of our hope and life. To catechize is to teach our children and one another about this Saving Lord Jesus and the truths He proclaims in the scriptures and through the Official Teaching Office of the Church. To catechize is to form people in the image of Jesus, their Lord and Savior. Yes, we are witnesses to Jesus daily, especially through evangelization and catechesis.

We are witnesses in Jesus. Baptized into Christ Jesus, we find in Him the strength, the grace, to be witnesses. On our own, we are weak and prone to sin. On our own, the witness we desire to give can so easily fail. But, in Him, we are made strong, especially through the power of the Holy Spirit, whom both the Father and the Son send us. Obviously, we are strengthened, not by wishful thinking nor by magic, but by daily persevering prayer. Each day must find us in prayer, opening ourselves to the transforming power of God’s grace. Above all, it is in the Eucharist that we grow into genuine holiness. During this Year of the Eucharist, by our active and conscious participation in the Eucharistic Sacrifice and by our frequent prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, may we be strengthened in Christ to be His witnesses. If our prayer and adoration are truly authentic, then, we will be led to reach out to the least of God’s children, to those in need, whether that be materially or spiritually. This very weekend, we are giving generously and even sacrificially to the victims of the tsunami in Southeast Asia. Yes, we are witnesses in Jesus because we remain united to Him in prayer and service.

We are witnesses with Jesus, that is, we are partners with Him in proclaiming the Gospel and in living its Truth.

We are witnesses with Jesus to the primary of God’s Will in our lives. Jesus came among us in obedience to the Father’s Will that He be our Saviour and Redeemer. Only when we are one with God’s Will do we find an inner peace and harmony. That is why we must try unceasingly, with Jesus at our side, to live out the Psalm Refrain we prayed moments ago. "Here am I, Lord: I come to do your will."

We are witnesses with Jesus to the sacredness of all human life, from its first moment at conception to its last moment at natural death. Abortion, embryonic stem-cell research, physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia: these all attack and destroy human life. On Jan. 22, we will recall the infamous decision of the United States Supreme Court in 1973 to support and affirm the taking of innocent and defenseless human life through abortion. On Jan. 24, we shall once again witness to the sacredness of life at its beginning and voice our relentless opposition to abortion by taking part in the March for Life in Washington.

Human life is sacred and deserving of respect at every stage. That is why we proclaim and witness with Jesus to the Church’s teachings on social justice, which the Synod of Bishops in 1971 stated was a constitutive element of the Gospel. We seek to secure and to maintain the equality of all God’s children in terms of the basic rights of the human person. That is why racism and discrimination are contrary to the Gospel. Tomorrow, we recall the witness of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., here in Washington and across our country. His dream was rooted in God’s plan that all people should be equal and free.

We are witnesses with Jesus to that unity among His disciples for which He prayed at the Last Supper. Regretfully, Christians are not yet one; the division among us is still real and evident. The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins on Jan. 18 and ends on Jan. 25. We must continue to pray and to dialogue so that Christ’s desire that we all be one will one day be realized.

Yes, one word says it all: witness! If we are witnesses to Jesus, in Jesus and with Jesus, then, we shall, like Him, be "a light to the nations" (cf. First Reading). Tomorrow will be too late! We must begin today — now — here — united in the Lord!

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