Do you know any pagans?
Our Saint today was Pope in the early Church 440 AD. He grouped together various learned Catholic scholars and centralized the authority of the Church. He did it without television, nightly news or cell phones. Take that as the work of the Holy Spirit.
Isaiah 52:15 Those who have never been told about him will see him, and those who have never heard about him will understand. Saint Paul is quoting this scripture to point out how Israel had failed in the mission to proclaim the Good News to the Pagan World. Jesus reiterated this when he gave us the Great Commission which was Matthew 28:17-20 When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
How do we make disciples and convert the pagans in your life?
We have constant examples of people who should know better and are clearly indifferent to the Good News of the Will of God. Seems that there are two messages from Saint Paul first spread the Good News to pagans in the world around us and then to spread the Good News to ourselves.
First the world. We might see pagans at our Thanksgiving table. They could be related or a friend of a friend. We are not going to change anyone’s mind at one meeting. We need to be constantly aware of how we act as Catholic men and women. We are going to make mistakes. Nonetheless, we can witness by how we conduct ourselves as Christians. I worked with a man whose name was Jim. He and his wife never went to church. He had marital problems early in his marriage and had an affair with a co-worker. He and his wife overcame their rough spot in their marriage. He remained faithful to his wife and turned into a loving husband, father and grandfather. He had a warm and welcoming personality and in ways acted more Christian than I did. He was understanding and not critical of his fellow workers and customers. He was generous to others and compassionate. Everyone loved him and sought his council.
This is the most important thing. How do we suppress is the pagan in us? Sometimes we reject all the Good News we have heard and don’t follow that good news. We forget or purposely ignore the Good News we have so proudly cultivated in ourselves. This is a problem if we are to witness to others.
The full context and quote that Saint Paul repeated from Isaiah 52:11-15 Depart, depart, go out from there, touch nothing unclean! Out from there! Purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the LORD. But not in -hurried flight will you go out, nor leave in headlong haste, For the LORD goes before you, and your rear guard is the God of Israel. See, my servant shall prosper, he shall be raised high and greatly exalted. Even as many were amazed at him— so marred were his features, beyond that of mortal his appearance, beyond that of human beings—So shall he startle many nations, kings shall stand speechless; For those who have not been told shall see, those who have not heard shall ponder it.
Just because we are Christians does not mean we are perfect. It is a constant battle between our pagan selves and the saved and Christian self in each of us. The thing I read that is so comforting is from Isaiah for the LORD goes before you, and your rear guard is the God of Israel. The Lord has our back.
Jesus said, And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently. For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than the children of light.” We need to be more like the children of the light and learn to trust that the Lord has our back as long as we try to suppress our pagan desires.
This is true in Isaiah’s time, Jesus’s time, Saint Leo’s time and our time.
God Love You Always
Bob Burford
PS: Please Pray for Cancer victims and their caregivers. Pray for the conversion of Russia and the salvation of the Ukrainian and Russian people and their soldiers. Pray for the Holy Land. Pray for children everywhere who are suffering. Pray for peace!
