Baseball season has begun here in the U.S., a spring-time of renewal and hope that my favorite team or your favorite team will win the World Series in October.
Baseball is biblical, of course. Just look at the first words of Genesis: “In the Big Inning” …
A little Old Testament humor there.
This is the time of year when many of my friends spend hours looking at team rosters, batting averages, pitching statistics … they compare players, compare teams and then they look forward to gathering with others to discuss the upcoming season.
Most importantly, they are eager to tell me – to tell anyone willing to listen – who has the best team, who are the best players and who they believe will be the big winners of the upcoming season.
As they debate and try to convince others of the merits of their arguments, you can see the excitement in their eyes and hear the sense of urgency in their voices.
The apostles of Jesus must have felt a little bit like this in the days and weeks after the Resurrection of our Lord. Armed with the knowledge they had, the events they witnessed and – finally – the wisdom they were given by the Holy Spirit, this band of brothers set out to convince the world of the good news of the Gospel.
They were the first to master the art of apologetics.
I hate that word, by the way … apologetics.
By definition, apologetics is “the branch of theology that is concerned with defending or proving the truth of Christian doctrine.”
But given its root word, it sounds more like “we are sorry that we are Christian, but here is why.”
Embracing the work of apologetics is nothing to be sorry about. On the contrary, when we are asked to explain our faith and the reasons we do what we do, we should be prepared to answer with much conviction. That’s not to say we should be loud or obnoxious or say things that are harmful. But even in the spirit of humility and love, we must be convincing.
During this Easter season, we have been reading a lot from the Acts of the Apostles, which means we’ve been reliving what it was like to be among the first to share the good news of the Gospel.
Today’s first reading is about St. Stephen, who was not one of the original 12, but was a deacon who happened to be very well-versed at explaining the faith and unlocking the scriptures for those who would listen.
If you only read the liturgical readings, you will miss out on the elegance of his passionate apologetics. You should take the time to read all of Chapter 7 of Acts.
Of course, it does not end well for Stephen, who becomes the Church’s first martyr at the end of the chapter. We celebrate his martyrdom on December 26.
There, too, is a lesson to learn.
Being brave and firm while doing the work of apologetics is not going to make you the most popular person. You will be rejected by many, shunned by some … but, by the grace of God and the help of the Holy Spirit, you will be helpful to others who are searching and open to your words.
Are you a defender of your faith? Can you help others understand what it means to be a Catholic? Or are you one who shies away from this because you are unsure yourself how to explain what it means? Perhaps you hope the subject never comes up … and maybe that leads you to keep your faith in a box, only to be let out on Sunday morning.
Fulton Sheen once said this: “There are not 100 people in the United States who hate the Catholic Church, but there are millions that hate what they wrongly perceive the Catholic Church to be.”
I pray today that we all accept the challenge to help others understand why our faith is first and foremost in our lives. Study the scriptures. Listen to the teachings. Read the Church Fathers. Take a class.
Above all, be not afraid. When the time comes for you to be like St. Stephen, the Holy Spirit will help you say the right words and do the right things to convince others of the good news that we are called to share each day.
