Scripture:
Reflection:
“So now I tell you, have nothing to do with these men, and let them go. For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” They were persuaded by him.”
How often do we hear about the “demise” of our Catholic faith in the face of an increasingly secular society? Fewer Catholics are attending Mass. Vocations are waning. Many of our children or other family members are not embracing the faith. Prayer seems to be banned in many places. The Church continues to be persecuted in large areas of the world. We encounter these issues over and over. And indeed, these concerns are all supported by observable data.
Nevertheless, do we have the faith to believe that “if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them.” Indeed, there are rays of hope for the Church. The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston added 2,400 more Catholics at this year’s Easter Vigil Masses. Our own new Parish church, having three times the capacity of the old church and dedicated just two years ago, is already nearly filled to capacity at two of the three weekend Masses celebrated.
In February 2022, the Vatican released statistics showing that in 2020, the number of Catholics in the world increased by 16 million to 1.36 billion. That means that 17.7% of the world’s population is Catholic. There were 2 million more Catholics in the U.S. at the end of 2022 than there were 10 years previously. Africa now has the world’s third largest Catholic population after the Americas and Europe, with more than 8 million people becoming Catholic in 2019 alone. Sub-Saharan Africa is home to 171 million Catholics.
Now reflect on the Apostles standing in front of the Sanhedrin being charged with spreading heresy: “You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man’s blood upon us. When they heard Peter’s response “they became infuriated and wanted to put them to death”. However, “After recalling the Apostles, they had them flogged, ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them. So, they left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.
Centuries later, we are standing in place of those original twelve. What is our response? What hope do we have? What can “I” do?
“Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people recline.” “When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” So, they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.”
No doubt, Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, had a premonition that “this work comes from God and you will not be able to destroy it.”
Bill Berger has had a lifelong relationship with the Passionist Family. He and his wife, Linda, are currently leaders of the Community of Passionist Partners (CPPs) in Houston.