12 Dozen Minus One (11/30/2023)

Yesterday, I baked cut out cookies. I must admit that I didn’t make the dough; the cookies were pre-cut and frozen. And so, when I got done baking them, I also must admit that I ate one. I mean I needed to eat one to ensure that they were good. One can’t recommend what one doesn’t know. All is well, they are good. Tonight, a host of women and teens will help to decorate them – 12 dozen minus one.

Life is like that, especially life in Christ. We are sent to bring the good news of Christ’s loving gift of salvation to us, but I can’t do that if I myself have not experienced Christ’s loving presence in my life. I can teach that which I don’t believe, but I cannot evangelize without faith, hope and love which only come from an encounter with Christ. And bringing Christ to others and others to Christ through words or deeds is evangelizing.

I am a catechist. I have been for more than 5 decades. As I meet with the youth of various ages every week, I can tell you that what they need more than anything else is to be evangelized by those who have encountered Christ, who know Christ, who know that Christ is with them always, who rely upon the gift of the Spirit, who call upon the Father Almighty in prayer. The youth need to “catch” the faith from exposure to it. And we can’t expose others to the faith if we ourselves are not “carriers.” Christ longs for us to move from knowing about Him to truly knowing Him.

As we near the beginning of our Advent journey to the manger, let us look anew at ourselves. Are we “carriers of the faith”? Have we experienced a loving relationship with our LORD, Jesus Christ? Have we invited Him to dwell within us? Have we opened ourselves to the gift of the Spirit? Through our relationship with Christ, have we come to recognized ourselves as daughters and sons of the Father Almighty, of our Abba?

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.