We are living in an exciting time: We are finally seeing the spiritual revival for which we've long been praying. The question before us now -- for us who have been working hard to grow in the Light of Christ -- is: What are we going to do about it? Jesus says (in Luke 8:16-18) that "No one lights a lamp just to hide it under under a bed." We who have been lit by Christ, we are to put this light where others can see it!
This might sound weird to some, but I know I'm not alone in saying that while we mourn deeply for those who are suffering, still feeling the burn of tears in our eyes, we also feel an exhilaration of joy over the new openness to faith that has been springing from evil's debris.Dave Nodar, director of ChristLife, a Catholic ministry of evangelization, renewal and unity (christlife.org), wrote this about the newly increased spiritual openness:
The facade of political correctness was quickly dropped in the face of tragic reality. Prayer services and Masses were covered by network TV, Congress spontaneously prayed and sang together, and there have been repeated references to the need for prayer and for God to help us.
Another example of this openness was a group of network TV commentators discussing the need for spiritual renewal and virtue in the United States in the aftermath of the attacks. This was not a group of 'religious folks.' They went on to discuss 'the face of evil', so visible in the attacks. They specified that this evil was much larger than simply the humans who were involved. One man actually talked about the existence and action of Satan in this event. They talked about it rationally and as if this was something everyone was aware of! It was extraordinary. They went on to point out the great virtue that was immediately displayed in the face of this wickedness, and how much this is needed in our society.
We who are shining with Christ are now being called to be available to those who are seeking the Light, and the numbers of seekers have grown beyond our imagination!
Let's look at the final words of this calling from Jesus to let our light shine: "To those who have, more will be given." To understand why God would give more to those who already have, and why those who think they have little will lose what they do have, we need to view it in terms of "responsibility". Those of us who already recognize our responsibilities as everyday evangelists (i.e., normal people who spread the Light of Christ in everyday circumstances) are now being given more responsibilities, more opportunities to bring others into the fullness of faith.
We all have people around us who are more open to conversion than they were before September 11th. They've been praying these last several days, and they want to know that God cares. Their newly enlivened faith is tenuous, shaky, in need of support so that it can grow stronger. Will you say yes to your responsibilities?
What's happening to those who think they've not been called to share their gift of faith? Because they've done little or nothing to let the Light of Christ that's in them shine forth, they will now find themselves lacking in the ability to light up the faith in others. But those of us who have already taken seriously our vocation to share the Light will now find ourselves with more opportunities than ever before, and we will succeed in doing more and more to increase and sustain this new spiritual revival.
If you recognize yourself as one who has done too little and now feel too unprepared to make full use of the opportunities around you, repent of what you have not done and be assured of God's great joy in your new (or renewed) desire to serve Him. Over time, you too will grow stronger and stronger as an evangelist.
