Pope St. Paul VI once remarked: “Today, either one lives one faith with devotion, depth, energy, and joy, or that faith will die.” Are we not living in the middle of the confirmation of these prophetic words? Does our devotion compare with those who are “devoted” to their favorite sports team? Is our depth any deeper than the shallow thinking of the so-called sages of our day? How much energy do we see in ourselves on Sunday as we leave Church to go forth and “tell the good news” to the world? And, amid a humdrum age, does our joy stand out in contrast to the apathy that surrounds us?
As Pope Paul VI and the popes who followed him looked upon the mounting tide of evil in the world, they realized that a mediocre Christianity cannot compete with the forces of evil that are rising daily in the world. At the rate things are going, what will our Church look like even ten years from now?
Jesus put a lot of devotion, depth, energy and joy into the town that was his base of operations. We would think that a town that was hosting the presence of God’s only Son would have been on fire for God. It seems that this was not the case. At a certain point when Jesus looked upon the town in which he had invested so much time and performed so many wonders, he made a candidly sobering observation (Matthew 11:20-24).
“And, as for you Capernaum: will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld. For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
Could Jesus have hit any harder? The lust-infested Sodom was the most evil city in history. Did Jesus really mean what he said? If Sodom had been visited by the Son of God and witnessed hundreds of miracles at his hand, even they would have taken notice and repented of their sins. Capernaum was worse off than Sodom? Would this prideful city that viewed itself as a step away from heaven, really go down to the netherworld? Does anyone know what ever happened to Capernaum?
Despite Jesus’ dire prediction about Capernaum, I’m sure there was a small band of disciples who were devoted to Jesus and faithful in following him. Some, like Lot of old, would be rescued from the fate that would come upon that town.
Today let’s take to heart the words of Pope Paul VI and recent popes? Let’s not be content to follow the crowd and put our hopes in a kind of “universalism.” Even if we live in an age that is headed for the netherworld, we still have a choice as did the residents of Capernaum. We can be part of the remnant that escapes the fate of a world that’s turned its back on God. St. Paul was told that God’s grace was sufficient for him even amid his sufferings. So, for us, God’s grace is sufficient to stir within us devotion, depth, energy, and joy as we take up our call to be the light of Christ in our world. This is not a time to settle for religious mediocrity.
