25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

If you were brought to court and accused of being a Catholic, what evidence would they have?  Well, it seems too easy to prove that one is a Catholic. If he/she was baptized, received the sacrament of confirmation, went to a priest for his/her confession, received Holy Communion, etc. then there is no doubt that such person is a Catholic. But this is not all! Being a Catholic means to proclaim and spread the Good News to all; that God loves us all and so we must love one another as He loves us. Being a Catholic means to be a visible sign of God's love to others. In this case, many among us Catholics fail to live as Catholics. There is not enough evidence to convict us as a Catholic beyond reasonable doubt. We have many excuses when we fail to show love to others like avoiding the person we dislike rather than looking for a way to befriend him/her. It is easy to keep grudges than to forgive. We also experience difficulty in showing signs that we love God. How many of us Catholics do not go to the church to hear mass because it is raining?  And how many of us are persistent in buying a load for our cellphone despite the rain that makes us wet? We are Catholics in name but never in action. It is not therefore surprising that the Philippines is a Catholic country, yet corruption is rampant. Progress in spiritual life is so slow while scams and scandals spread too fast. Jesus is right when he said in Luke 16:8 "For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light." Yes, even I myself notice this in me. If there is a Sick Call, it seems difficult for me to move as if I want to say I am sick too. But if there is a birthday party, I am on time to bless the food. Really, it is very difficult to live as a Catholic especially if there is no intention to really live as one.