In baptism and especially in the annual renewal of baptismal promises, there is the reality of the "call." It is the summons to walk the walk and talk the talk with Jesus Christ. The Christian vocation is much more than complacency. Ours is to be like Jesus --- to preach and to proclaim the gospels.
There is no need to travel to far away towns and places to bring the good news of the gospels to others of different cultures and languages. There is turf in families, in friendships and in neighborhoods that is suffering a faith drought. Imagine this, if every baptized Christian in your city made an effort to bring the gospel message to those who have abandoned their faith, their efforts to be united with Jesus, would a city change, would a neighborhood be better, would a family be restored? Surely there would be some relief to the drought!
Jesuit Saint Robert Bellarmine, whose feast is celebrated today, was a brilliant priest. But he never let his brilliance interfere with his desire to teach as many people as he could about Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church. His goal: to help others to come to know and experience the joy and satisfaction of in living a life of faith in Jesus Christ. This is the challenge before us today and it will be successfully achieved only when we ourselves are committed to knowing the gospels and the teachings of our Church and then sharing our walk with our talk no matter how old we are.
It is rare that I share a photo of a friend and a model. But in writing about "walking the walk and talking the talk," there is a truly committed Christian who does not allow age nor health issues block her journey that has taken her to so many in need, so many seeking to know Jesus Christ. Her image here should be a sign, an encouragement to those who view it: never give up proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.
