This is how I see Christianity:
The Catholic Church is a city shining on a hill. Just like the colonnade reaching out from St. Peter's basilica into the piazza in Rome, the Church is the arms of God embracing
everyone who enters her gates. And the gates are always opened for anyone who wishes to go in or to leave and go back to the world. Love always embraces its beloved without locking its arms, giving the beloved room for escape.
Those who enter her often become discouraged by the flood of sickened, wretched and pitiable souls at her entrance. Many have given every ounce of their strength to make it and collapse with exhaustion just as they step inside. But do not be discouraged. The fount of life is inside.
The longer we live inside this city--this Kingdom of Heaven on earth now, a foretaste of what is to come--the more we understand the beauty of its laws and the lavish love of its Creator. As the church, His Bride, gives herself to Him in the eternal dance of love, as the Church learns the steps and is more easily guided by Him, we can abandon ourselves to ecstasy of holiness.
Each of us who call ourselves Christians are an important, vitally important, light in that city. At home in our Father's arms, our lights are fueled by His love and as we are obedient, the fire of our righteousness blazes brilliantly.
This communal light, harmoniously synthesized together as One Body, shines across the distant, dark world calling out to those who are seeking the warmth and safety of illumination. All those who are weary and confused, all those sick from sin, those who are lonely or despair, all who yearn for
authentic love and the light of truth are able to see God's heavenly love lit up through His people inside the Kingdom. This is the great hope of the world. This is salvation and the good news of God's Kingdom. And each one of our lights matter.
There is great mercy upon those wee flickering, ephemeral lights of the wounded who have stumbled so recently (or not so recently) into the kingdom. Their lamps must often be reignited from the oil of those stronger flames around them. But each lamp is called by God to grow in His grace. For His promise is true. You shall receive as you give, a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, into your heart.
And as we increase in this fiery righteousness, the brighter and farther our illumination will reach. That is why God desires that we follow Him even closer--never tiring of prayer, never giving up the spiritual fight, never giving into temptation--that through the obedience of faith, we may receive greater graces to bring those lost and lonely souls into the protective Kingdom of God.
That is why we wish to be holy. It is for the sake of others. Holiness is not for ourselves, it is our life poured out so that others may see Christ through our light. Christ's light shining out of us is what will heal the wounded, bind the broken-hearted, and show people the cross in the most intimate of ways.
Do not fail to become holy. Your light is vital. Burn brightly. You may never see the results, you may feel your light has failed, but burn the brighter, for there in the distance is a fragile, hurting soul who will see it and it will give them the hope to pull themselves out of the quicksand of despair and head towards the Kingdom.
The Catholic Church is a city shining on a hill. Just like the colonnade reaching out from St. Peter's basilica into the piazza in Rome, the Church is the arms of God embracing
Those who enter her often become discouraged by the flood of sickened, wretched and pitiable souls at her entrance. Many have given every ounce of their strength to make it and collapse with exhaustion just as they step inside. But do not be discouraged. The fount of life is inside.
The longer we live inside this city--this Kingdom of Heaven on earth now, a foretaste of what is to come--the more we understand the beauty of its laws and the lavish love of its Creator. As the church, His Bride, gives herself to Him in the eternal dance of love, as the Church learns the steps and is more easily guided by Him, we can abandon ourselves to ecstasy of holiness.
This communal light, harmoniously synthesized together as One Body, shines across the distant, dark world calling out to those who are seeking the warmth and safety of illumination. All those who are weary and confused, all those sick from sin, those who are lonely or despair, all who yearn for
There is great mercy upon those wee flickering, ephemeral lights of the wounded who have stumbled so recently (or not so recently) into the kingdom. Their lamps must often be reignited from the oil of those stronger flames around them. But each lamp is called by God to grow in His grace. For His promise is true. You shall receive as you give, a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, into your heart.
And as we increase in this fiery righteousness, the brighter and farther our illumination will reach. That is why God desires that we follow Him even closer--never tiring of prayer, never giving up the spiritual fight, never giving into temptation--that through the obedience of faith, we may receive greater graces to bring those lost and lonely souls into the protective Kingdom of God.
That is why we wish to be holy. It is for the sake of others. Holiness is not for ourselves, it is our life poured out so that others may see Christ through our light. Christ's light shining out of us is what will heal the wounded, bind the broken-hearted, and show people the cross in the most intimate of ways.
Do not fail to become holy. Your light is vital. Burn brightly. You may never see the results, you may feel your light has failed, but burn the brighter, for there in the distance is a fragile, hurting soul who will see it and it will give them the hope to pull themselves out of the quicksand of despair and head towards the Kingdom.
