Memorial of Saint John Baptist de la Salle, Priest
Throughout the Gospels, the apostles are often presented as somewhat slow, struggling to really understand the message that Jesus is teaching them. But in today's first reading we see a whole new depiction of these men of God. They suddenly become determined, convicted, focused and unrelenting. They finally get it.
When standing in the court, in front of the Sanhedrin, being mandated to back down, stop teaching, cease and desist, they stand up for themselves. They will not be silenced and know that they must listen to God before man, even at the threat of death.
This passion can only stem from one thing - the truth - the truth found in Jesus Christ. The conviction the apostles display here reminds me of the conviction and passion I often see in converts to our faith and often in "reverts" - those who have lapsed from Catholicism and returned to their faith, invigorated by the truth. There is an intense desire to love the Lord above all else and to put God first. There is a deep joy, centered in the truth of Jesus’s love that radiates out into all of their being. They constantly amaze me with their love for the Lord.
I often feel about them, how I feel about the apostles today – they get it! They know that the truth of Jesus is worth fighting for. I will take the example of the apostles in today’s first reading to prayer – Lord convict me. Give me that same passion and unrelenting focus that these men had. Make me a passionate disciple.
I believe this passion can only come when we have real, intimate encounters with Christ. And that happens when we are prayerful, when we seek to know Christ and when our eyes are open to the truth of Christ’s love. It is when we deeply know Christ that we then speak, live and act with deep, piercing conviction, focused solely on serving God before man.
Amanda Grimm