We give witness, of course, to God’s truth as we know and understand
it as it has been revealed to us by Jesus Christ in his teachings and
example. This is important in an age when falsehood often presents
itself as truth. In 1 Peter 3:15-16, we are told: “Always be ready to give
an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope,
but do it with gentleness and reverence. . . .” It is God’s gift of truth and
light; we are but instruments.
We witness to integ rity of life. In the ordination rite of priests, the
bishop instructs those who are being called to the presbyterate: “Your
ministry will perfect the spiritual sacrifice of the faithful by uniting
it with Christ’s sacrifice, the sacrifice which is offered sacramentally
through your hands. Know what you are doing and imitate the mystery
you celebrate. In the memorial of the Lord’s death and resurrection,
make every effort to die to sin and to walk in the new life of Christ.”
We witness to the transcendent. It is often said that many today have an
attention span of about ten minutes and little or no sense of history
beyond their immediate experience and context. It is a challenge,
then, to invite people to consider something greater than self — God
— and to invite them into a relationship with the author and goal
of our human existence. The paradox, however, is that the meeting
point with the transcendent, the divine, is for us as Catholics the
very intimate act of sharing word, and bread and wine, Christ’s body
and blood, at the table of the Eucharist. May this issue of Emmanuel
strengthen your faith and your witness!
Anthony Schueller, SSS
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