Not Enough To Be Catholic, We Must DO Catholic
2022년 1월 23일Not Enough To Be Catholic, We Must DO Catholic
< Third Sunday in Ordinary Time >
Many years ago I was traveling in Seoul looking for a Catholic parish that was actually inside Nam Dae Mun Shi Jang, the largest indoor market in Korea. The market was so large we had difficulty finding the building that functioned as a church for Sunday Mass. We asked several merchants but they didn’t know. One asked, “What’s a Catholic Church?” Her coworker responded, “That’s the Church that helps people.” I must admit, if that’s the reputation of Catholicism in Korea, I’m all for it.
In the first reading, after the Jews returned from exile and were rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem that had been destroyed by the Babylonians 70 years earlier. The prophet Ezra discovered sacred scrolls hidden within the walls. Today we heard how the Jews wept when they heard the law of God read to them. They wept because they remembered not only who they are, the Chosen People, but also what they were to do and how they were to live to honor their special relationship with God. Ezra tells them to rejoice and not weep because God has not forgotten them. In the gospel, Jesus opens the scroll of the prophet Isaiah which describes what the Messiah would do. It’s the Messiah’s job description. Anyone can say they’re the Messiah, but only the real Messiah would proclaim liberty to captives and restore sight to the blind, make the deaf hear and bring good news to the poor. The same thing holds true for us Catholics. It’s not just who we are but what we do: feed the hungry, house the homeless, establish justice and stand with the poor and oppressed. If you worry that your faith is growing cold, try doing the Catholic things mentioned about. Nothing brings our cold faith back to life faster than service to the less fortunate.