Christian = Churchgoer?

The Thessalonians believed that the day of the Lord was happening immediately, and so some of them started to say, “What’s the point of working or planning for the future, if the day of the Lord is coming next week, or soon enough?” St. Paul reminds them that the expectation of the Lord’s coming does not excuse them from working in this world (2 Thessalonians 3.7-12), and he tells them in his Letter about the signs of the Lord’s coming.

Today’s readings may help us to reflect upon what it means to be a Christian in today’s world. For some people being a Christian is coming to church on Sundays, or often enough. Of course, coming to church is part of it, and the most important part of it (because of the Eucharist). But that’s not all.

1. For St. Paul, being a Christian was working for your own food, that is, minding your business. This means doing your job in a productive way, as one who expects fruit. A Christian does not cheat at work. A Christian should love what he does, even if he cannot do what he loves. A Christian should try to see in his work something important for the good of his community. Even in a work environment full of corruption, a Christian doing the right thing helps everyone and makes a difference. How is our relationship with our work, with our duties, with our house chores?

2. Jesus speaks about:

-          not focusing on superficial stability or success: “As some of the disciples were remarking how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and consecrated gifts, Jesus said, ‘As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one will be thrown down’” (Luke 21:5-6). A Christian does not think that the Church is successful because more people come to church or because the bills are paid. Those are good things, but those things happen also in churches that are dying, or churches that preach an empty message, or churches that focus on the “customer experience,” making noisy things or adapting the message to whatever people want to hear that week. The true questions to assess how a church is doing are something like this: Are people becoming holier in our church? Are there young people thinking about vocations to priesthood and religious life? Are they living in chastity? Are married people living faithfully their vows, in body and soul? Do people participate rightly in the sacramental life of the Church? Are people desirous of learning more about their faith, about growing in holiness? Are people taking their Christian witness outside the church?

-          discerning for the right doctrine and not going after anything that looks Christian, but it is not: “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them” (Luke 21:8). A Christian should believe more in the Bible than in Google, should listen more to the Church’s Teaching than to the TV or to the social media. How is it possible that, depending on what news outlet they hear, people believe one thing or the exact opposite? It is obvious that not everybody who has a microphone or a platform says the truth. How does a Christian deal with that? How do we choose what to believe? This will lead to another sermon, but we need to discern what we listen to. Questions that may help: What are the fruits of what I am hearing: peace, joy, or anger, fear, anxiety, etc.? (I am not saying that all anger is bad, but some angers are) Is what I am hearing in line with Jesus’ message?

-          not being afraid or scandalized about the terrible things that must take place before the end of the world: “When you hear of wars and rebellions, do not be alarmed. These things must happen first, but the end is not imminent… There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences” (Luke 21:9.11). A Christian should be always compassionate but not scandalized at the terrible evils ravaging the world. They were prophesized and permitted by God for a reason (even if we many times cannot fathom this reason). This does not make them any less terrible, but how can a Christian so often be shaken in his faith because of the evil he sees in the world? Evil is always a scandal and a hard pill to swallow for anyone (beginning with Jesus himself, who, even when He knew everything, was sad to death when his day was close); but the way we deal with evil as Christians cannot be the same as people who have no faith (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:13).

-          expecting persecution, giving witness to the nations and standing strong even in the face of death: “But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you… This will be your opportunity to bear witness” (Luke 21:12.13) As we said at the beginning, a Christian takes his witness with him, outside the church. How do I live when I am in front of others? (Sometimes, just doing the right thing, even without saying anything, is enough sometimes to arouse persecution).

These are questions for reflection. For lack of time, I did not mention the works of charity that Christians are called to do, according to their possibilities. But, in any case, being a Christian means more than going to church and praying. It is a way of thinking, a way of living my personal life and my social life. Each one of us should be his or her own judge, so that the Judgment Day does not take us by surprise. For the prophet Malachi, on Judgment Day “the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble” (Malachi 4:1). May the Lord help each one of us to discern what is our own way of being Christian in our own particular circumstances.