Dear Fathers, Brothers, Sisters in Christ,
Acts 22:3-16
Or acts 9:1-22
Psalm 117:1bc, 2
Mark 16:15-18
Christ tells the apostles to "go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature."
Recently, I heard a eulogy at a funeral. It was very obvious within the first few minutes that the person knew the deceased intimately and that he loved and respected him very much. That is how the apostles knew Christ and what they were to preach. They knew Christ intimately and they had come to love Him.
Though Christ lives with us today, we do not have the advantage of His physical presence. We must rely on the sacraments, on prayer, and on the written Word of the gospel in order to know and love Christ. The Word, though written centuries ago, is alive and meaningful in our lives today.
To proclaim the gospel, as we are asked to do, without really grasping its meaning, is only self-serving. So the question we need to ask ourselves is, "How well do we really know and love Christ?"
Father Ed Bakker
Anglican Catholic Church / Original Province
Mission of Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne
Bendigo
Australia
