Ss. Philip and James
Can it be any clearer: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”? This truth is what we have given our lives to. There is no salvation through any other name except Christ Jesus. Not sociology, psychology, or philosophy. Not the Republican Party or the NRA or socialism or capitalism or the Democrats or the State or social justice or racial purity or feminism or holding and professing whatever the currently correct ideology happens to be. We hold and profess the Apostolic Faith, a faith that transcends politics and cultures and nations, leading us to our ultimate end – God in heaven and our place at His table. The pressure to worship the idols of this age is tremendous. We see it everyday. And this is nothing new. Our ancestors in faith were pressured to swear allegiance to race, to politics, to ethnicity, to gender, and a myriad of others gods that cannot save. The apostles were sent to proclaim a simple message: Christ Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Anything beyond this, anything other than this is a lie. We preach the truth. Jesus Christ and he alone is our salvation. Do you live this truth day in and day out, all day, everyday? If you were asked, “Can belonging to a political party save me?” I have no doubt every one in this chapel would say, “No. Absolutely not.” Can holding a particular philosophical or theological position save me? No. Can simply being an American or a Mexican or a Canadian save me? No. We get that. We understand – intellectually – that nothing created can save us. But when the rubber hits the road and we're flying along through our day, how often do we fall back on the habit of thinking that something created, something made will bring us to the Wedding Feast? We can – if we're not diligent – cling fast to the things of the world, believing that they will give us strength and purpose. Praying for priestly vocations is an immensely important and praiseworthy ministry. But it won't save you. Teaching seminarians and serving as their SD is important and praiseworthy as well. But it won't save me. We pray for vocations and teach seminarians because we know and believe that Christ Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We start there – with the truth – and then work our way out to ministry, politics, philosophy, and whatever else we have to deal with day to day. We start with Christ, stay with Christ, end with Christ, and belong to him and with him always and everywhere in all circumstances, never wavering in our trust that he and he alone can and will bring us fully into the Father's presence.
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