Ham And Eggs
Memorial of St. Barnabas, Apostle
My dear encountered couples:
We are told that Barnabas, whose feast we celebrate today, went to Antioch where he encouraged the Christians there “to remain firm in their commitment to the Lord.” He did not tell them to be involved in the things of Christ but to be committed.
We have often heard that we are to be committed to and involved in various things of life. We are to be firm in our commitment to God, to our faith, to our husbands and wives, to our jobs and vocations, to our schoolwork, to whatever it is that we have given and promised ourselves to. We are not to be wishy-washy and change with every new breeze that blows our way. We are to learn stick-to-itiveness.
But we are also to get involved is some good cause or other. Get involved in parish affairs, get involved with helping the starving and homeless. What’s the difference between commitment and involvement? They often seem the same.
Somebody once said that commitment and involvement are like your breakfast of “ham and eggs.” The chicken became involved in your breakfast by contributing her work of providing some eggs. The pig became committed to your breakfast by giving his body. The chicken gave the fruit of her labors, the pig gave his life.
Barnabas said to remain committed to the Lord, not merely involved in religion.
