We have been hearing readings from the letter of James these past few weeks at Sunday Mass. I love these reading from James; they give us practical advice on our journey as Christ’s disciples. James encourages us to be doers of God’s word, not just hearers. He calls us to welcome all into our community of faith, to not be exclusive, to not judge others based on social status. Today, we hear James tell us that we are to put our faith into action, that faith without works is dead.
Faith is not just to be a disposition or an attitude. It is not a theory or an idea. Faith is to be a practical way of living based on the revelation of Jesus Christ that calls us to new life. In faith, we open ourselves mentally and spiritually to Christ, to receive new life in him and to form a relationship with him. Yet, faith does not stop there; this is just the beginning. Our faith is to drive our actions and good works. Our faith is nothing if we do not truly follow Christ each day. Our faith urges us, nudges us, and compels us to action, calling us to spiritual and corporal works of mercy. According to James, if we have faith without any works, our faith is not really alive. Rather than being rigid or static, our faith is to be constantly emerging, growing, and developing.
Today’s reading from James is sometimes misunderstood, especially as to what the Catholic Church officially teaches. Our salvation comes to us as a freely given gift from God; we do not earn salvation on our own. We’re never justified before God by our own works and own efforts. As James states today, our faith is to bear fruits and to have a real impact in our lives. Our faith is to spur us to action, to have our will, desires, and actions cooperate with God’s will and God’s call for us.
I remember participating in a faith sharing group at St Jude a few years ago that called our Catholic faith “A Treasure to Be Shared.” I think that is the point of the message we have in James today. If we recognize what a treasure our faith truly is, we will want our faith to bear fruit and to put our faith into action. It is so important to be a witness. We are called to walk the walk before we can talk the talk. Pope Paul VI wrote about evangelization in the document Evangelii Nuntiandi, stating: “Modern man will listen to witnesses more than teachers, and if they do listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.” We are to be witnesses in actions and in words. We are to live our faith in such a way that people will ask us questions about it. We are to know our faith in such a way that we are ready to explain it at any moment.
As we talk about faith and being witnesses to our faith, we celebrate Catechetical Sunday this weekend. Our catechists and teachers in our program of religious education will receive a special blessing today, as last weekend we started our new year of religious education here at Holy Savior and Immaculate Conception. Catechetical Sunday is a great opportunity to reflect upon the role each person has, by virtue of our baptism, in handing on the faith and being witnesses to the Gospel in the world. Catechetical Sunday is not new; in 1935, the Church started recognize a Sunday in the beginning of the school year to celebrate the gift that our teachers and catechists give to their parish communities by volunteering their time for religious education. Catechetical Sunday is an opportunity for us Catholics to rededicate ourselves to our mission as a community of faith.
Our theme for Catechetical Sunday comes from the 25th Chapter of Matthew: Lord when did we see you hungry? Our theme reflects our call to missionary discipleship. As St John Paul II reminded us: The universal call to holiness is closely linked to the universal call to mission. Every member of the faithful is called to holiness and to mission. We are called to bring the spirit of the eucharist by word and action to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our times cry out for this kind of holiness, which is marked by our desire to bring as many of our brothers and sisters as possible to Christ. Let us heed this call to faith and to action as we celebrate Catechetical Sunday this weekend.
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