BE PROUD TO
BE A CATHOLIC
Last October
2014, I attended the National Conference for Youth Ministers (NCYM) at Kalibo,
Aklan. During the break, I saw printed t-shirts for sale that captures my
attention. The print says: “I am proud to be a Catholic”. Without hesitation, I
immediate bought two of them. “I am proud to be a catholic” these words are
amazing. I am catholic since birth and I am happy of my religion.
Today, we
celebrate the feast of the baptism of the Lord. In today’s celebration, we end
the Christmas season and begin the 1st Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Our gospel today presents the baptism of the Lord Jesus by John the Baptist at
the Jordan River. Jesus in his baptism was being honored by the Father in
heaven by the working of the Holy Spirit and by hearing his voice.
As baptized
catholic, we are honoured to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. However, are
we proud to be a catholic by virtue of our baptism? Are you acting as catholic in words and in
actions?
My dear
friends, there are many catholic today who doesn’t even make the sign of
the cross when they ate at the public places, like for example in a restaurant.
Di ba mag-ampo man daan ang catholic before taking their meal? Are you
doing this or not? If you are doing it then, that is what I mean by the words,
“I am proud to be a catholic”.
Jesus, in
his baptism receives the Holy Spirit and in our baptism we also received the
Holy Spirit. If the baptism of Christ is the beginning of his mission, in our
baptism also, we begin the mission given to us by the Lord. In baptism we
receive the kingly mission, prophetic mission, priestly mission of Christ. All
we have to do is to show it to the whole world that we are really a baptized
catholic Christians.
Today, we
are challenged to do the mission of Christ entrusted to us by the church. This
may mean to learn from our own faith so that we will not be tempted to embrace
another one. Work for our faith so that other people may see us as real
catholic Christians.
Do the
kingly mission by helping other people; do the prophetic mission by preaching
and witnessing the truth and do the priestly mission by being prayerful.
Don’t be
afraid and don’t be ashamed of what you have received from God. Show it!
Learned from it! And believe in it! Be proud to be a catholic!
But the
questions always remains, are you proud to be a catholic?
