Our first reading at mass today spoke about the prophet Jeremiah and the opposition he faced in his prophetic ministry, to the point of fearing for his life, for fearing those around him who are plotting against him. No matter what the reality is around us, we are called to serve God with a sincere heart with acts of prayer, both private and communitarian, and with acts of mercy and charity. We need to have the freedom to serve God with our whole lives. But we also have to be willing to act upon that call.
For the US Bishops' website:
Pray: That all Christians would have the courage to serve God with our whole lives and to live out our faith with boldness and compassion.
Reflect: Christians carry out the mission of the Church by doing simple acts of charity on a daily basis. A person might check in on his elderly neighbors, or another may show her coworkers in small ways that she truly cares about their well-being. All of us, from every walk of life, are to infuse our work and daily activities with Christian charity. Sometimes, our culture urges us to think of our faith as a strictly interior matter. The culture says that we are free to worship, or to be spiritual, but our faith should not be expressed publicly. A culture in which faith is never visible tends to be one that constricts religion. Christ calls us to a whole life of discipleship. We exercise our faith in all that we do. Freedom to serve God with our whole lives.
Act: The life of faith begins with prayer. Hold a prayer vigil for religious freedom. Eucharistic adoration, the Rosary, and the Divine Mercy Chaplet can all be forms of intercession for our country and our first freedom. Another great way to pray for our country year-round is the Call to Prayer for Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty.
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