Who makes the best Catholics: Those who are raised Catholic or those who become Catholic? Many people have noticed how ‘cradle Catholics’ can be lukewarm while those who convert to Catholicism seem to be more fervent. There’s also a little debate as to whether more priestly and religious vocations come from those who go to public school or Catholic school.
Let’s make it more personal: Do we consider ourselves to be good Catholics? And what’s our spiritual background: are we a cradle Catholic or a convert; did we go to public school or Catholic school?
Today, we celebrate the solemnity of the Epiphany, from the Greek word meaning ‘appearing,’ because this day marks the moment that Jesus appeared to non-Jewish people for the first time. Let’s look at the Gospel and see the background of each person mentioned (Mt 2:1-12). Jesus is what race? Jewish. Our mother Mary? Jewish. King Herod? Edomite. This map shows their territory of Idumea, south of Judea, and they were conquered by Jewish people about 100 years before Christ, and not considered real Jews. The wise men? Persian. The chief priests and scribes? Jewish.
There’s nothing conclusive we can draw from these observations, which is logical, because God isn’t interested in people’s race. Jesus was Jewish, but died for all people regardless of their race because every person is guilty of sinning against God and is in need of His mercy. Our mother Mary (Jewish) responded to God’s call perfectly, while the chief priests and scribes (Jewish), who were well versed in the Scriptures, weren’t the first to find Jesus. The Persian wise men were, because they were searching for Him.
Likewise, there’s nothing conclusive about who makes the best Catholics, in terms of background. It’s true that most cradle Catholics in Canada don’t love Jesus but that doesn’t mean all. Most saints in modern times have been cradle Catholics. While it’s true that many converts are devout, not all are. Finally, in this archdiocese, most priests actually went to Catholic schools even though the very best didn’t.
The Reading famously tells us that a star appeared in the sky, but, as pointed out before, this star would have been visible to everyone—some ignored it, some paid attention to it. The Magi followed it, which led them to take a month long journey. For Herod, the star was threatening because, 1400 years before, there was a prediction by a non-Jewish prophet who said, “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near—a star shall come out of Jacob… it shall crush the borderlands of Moab… Edom will become a possession” (Num 24:17-18). The phrase, ‘Edom will be dispossessed,’ frightened Herod. But, here’s the thing with Jesus: We know from history that He never took away anyone’s earthly kingdom, but He did ask us to give up earthly riches so that we might become spiritually rich.
The star is a sign of how Jesus appears to us, that is, gently. It doesn’t matter whether we’re born Catholic or not; we can ignore Him, or even see Him as threatening, but everyone who is searching will find Him.
So, let’s focus on two qualities of being a good Catholic (These aren’t the only ones, but are part of it): 1) We search for Christ. We might have been lukewarm most of our life or might have just returned to the Church, but, if we’re searching for the person of Jesus, that’s a sign that we’re responding to His love. Let’s even say we’re not baptized yet but want to be, this reminds us of what is called the Baptism of desire. In theology, we refer to three kinds of Baptism: Baptism of water, the most common; Baptism of blood, meaning we die for Jesus; Baptism of desire, meaning we love Jesus, want to follow Him, and desire sacramental Baptism. The Catechism says, “For catechumens [that is, those in RCIA] who die before their Baptism, their explicit desire to receive it, together with repentance for their sins, and charity, assures them the salvation that they were not able to receive through the sacrament” (CCC 1259). This is great! Someone who’s searching for Jesus can receive grace because God honours their desire!
Now, question: What if we join RCIA just to get our children into Vancouver College or Little Flower Academy, do we still receive the grace? The answer is, to quote the Backstreet Boys, ‘Quit playing games with my heart, I should have known from the start, You know you have got to stop, you are tearing us apart.’ What the Backstreet Boys are getting at is that the desire must be sincere.
2) We tell others about Jesus. Jesus loves everyone but doesn’t force us to love Him in return. Most people don’t know Him, and so, like a man in love with a woman, He relies on His friends to make the introduction.
For years, we’ve discussed if Jesus is the center of our lives, and for your information, in December of last year, 434 of us have said that He is. This is something to celebrate! However, like any good marriage, our relationship matures and we start sharing a common purpose/mission in life. So, here’s something new we want to contemplate: Is Jesus’ mission outside of our life, a part of our life, or the center?
Jesus’ mission is part of Who He is, so, when He is our center, His mission becomes our center, too. The saints show us that Jesus loves us so much that they want everyone to encounter His love, and so they dedicate their lives to helping others meet Him.
Today, as we do every year, we’re going to renew our 11:02 prayer cards, where we write down the names of three people we love, that they might encounter Christ, and pray the Our Father for them every day at 11:02 a.m. or p.m. (because in Luke 11:2, Jesus taught the disciples the Our Father). After the homily, if you’d like, you can write down the names and place the cards in the basket as you come up to the altar rail during Communion. Please also write down on your phone the same three names so that you remember! Praying for these people is part of the beginning of making Jesus’ mission the center of our lives. We have Alpha starting March 27, 2025 so that’s the important date to remember, in order that we can invite people we love.
So, who are the best Catholics? Two qualities demonstrate: We search for the person of Christ and we tell others about Him.