The founder of my religious congregation, Fr. Thomas Judge, CM, had has his (and hence, our) motto “Every Catholic is called to be an apostle.” In our day and age with the rise of the “nones,” those without any religious belief, the apostolic vocation that we all share is more important than ever. The reading from St. Paul on this feast of an apostle says: “How can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?” Most Catholics, it seems, are reluctant to talk about their faith. Certainly with the rise of Christian Nationalism the meaning of faith has become politicized and distorted. Thus, the caution about speaking of faith with others. It seems fruitless to speak of things which are so easily viewed through the wrong end of a telescope. What we can do which speaks of our faith is live as Jesus did with compassion, forgiveness and charity toward all, particularly the most vulnerable. Then people will see what faith in action looks like.
