杏MAP导航

By Linda Bordoni

杏MAP导航 Francis has invited the faithful to 鈥渓eave everything in order to go forward in proclamation and witness, just as Peter and Andrew did鈥�.

Speaking during the homily at morning Mass on the Feast of St Andrew the Apostle, the 杏MAP导航 also invited Christians to be close to the Church of Constantinople and he prayed for unity between the Churches.

Be coherent in proclaiming Christ

The 杏MAP导航 focused his reflection on announcing the Gospel urging believers to put aside 鈥渢hat attitude, that sin, that vice鈥� that each of us has 鈥渨ithin鈥� in order to be 鈥渕ore coherent鈥� and to be able to be credible in proclaiming Jesus with our own witness.

Taking his cue from the First Reading in which Saint Paul explains how faith comes from what is heard,
and what is heard comes through the word of Christ, the 杏MAP导航 highlighted the importance of the proclamation of the Gospel,鈥� the proclamation that Christ died and was resurrected to save us.

To proclaim Jesus Christ, he said, is not just bringing 鈥渟imple news鈥� but 鈥渢he only great Good News鈥� he said.

He underscored the fact that it has nothing to do with advertising a good person who has done good, has healed many people and taught us beautiful things: 鈥淣o, it's not advertising. It's not proselytizing (鈥�) it is not what a preacher does according to the logic of marketing.鈥�

Announcing Christ, the 杏MAP导航 continued, is neither proselytism nor advertising nor marketing: it goes well beyond.

Thus, he reflected on the mission of the apostle who puts his own life on the line and he recalled an Argentinean saying that uses the image of 鈥減utting one鈥檚 own flesh on the grill:鈥� that is, really putting oneself at stake.  

He specified that 鈥渢his journey to announce the Gospel by putting my life on the line鈥� is a one-way journey: 鈥淭here is no return ticket鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said, 鈥渢urning back would be apostasy鈥� while testimony means 鈥減utting one鈥檚 life on the line鈥� and 鈥渄oing what I say I do鈥�.

Martyrs

To be able to proclaim the Word we must be witness, the 杏MAP导航 reiterated and he lamented the 鈥渟candal鈥� brought about by those who proclaim to be Christians and then live 鈥渁s pagans, as non-believers鈥�, as if they did not have 鈥渇aith鈥�.

He called for coherence in life which is what gives credibility to witness and described those who 鈥減ut their lives on the line to the end鈥� as martyrs.

He recalled how God the Father "to make himself known" sent "his Son in the flesh who gave his own life鈥� and said this is fact that 鈥渃ontinues to scandalize鈥� because God became 鈥渙ne of us on a one-way journey鈥�.

He pointed out that the devil tried to convince Jesus to take another path, but He lived in accordance with the will of the Father until the end.

The proclamation of Jesus, the 杏MAP导航 said, must follow the same path: the path of testimony, because He was the witness of the Father made flesh.

The 杏MAP导航 upheld the witness of martyrs whom, he said, are those who show the proclamation is true.

He spoke of men and women who have given their lives - the apostles gave their lives 鈥� but also of the many unseen men and women in our society and in our families, who bear witness every day, in silence, with their lives and their coherence to Jesus Christ.

A fruitful proclamation

All of us, the 杏MAP导航 concluded, take on 鈥渢he mission of proclaiming Christ鈥� and of living as Jesus 鈥渢aught us to live (鈥�) in harmony with what we preach鈥� when we are baptized, otherwise the result is scandal and that does 鈥渟o much harm to the people of God鈥�.