The Ball Is In Our Court
Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
My dear encountered couples:
In this gospel passage we find Jesus preparing the first apostles of his church. He instructs the twelve, then sends them to preach to others what they have learned. First, they were to preach to their own people, the Jewish people, and then later, after they had some experience, he would be sending them to the rest of the people of the world. The apostles had the obligation to observe Jesus well, listen attentively to his words, and learn as much as they could from him. Then live and preach to others what they had learned.
Are we not all obligated to do the same?
Catholics are not just to go through the procedures of being baptized, make their first confession, receive their first communion, and then be confirmed. They are not just to attend Mass on Sunday, contribute money to the parish, and abstain from meat on a few days during Lent. Every Catholic is to study the life of Christ, listen to his words, imagine his actions, then integrate them into their everyday lifestyles.
All Catholics, not just the clergy, are obligated to learn enough about their faith so as not to feel unequipped to answer questions when asked, and make the decisions that affect their own souls. The apostles observed, listened, and learned about Christ; then taught it to others through their words and actions. Those others passed it on down to us. The ball is in our court now.
By words and actions, we are to pass it on to future generations. The word “apostle” means “sent.” Not only were the original twelve sent. Every Catholic is.
