Recently, I've been contemplating the question, "Am I Living My Faith," and what a faithful life truly entails. During this reflection, I've been reading "The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation" by Rod Dreher. The following is an excerpt from this book that I find meaningful.
Too many of our churches function as secular entertainment centers with religious morals slapped on top, when they should be functioning as the living, breathing Body of Christ. Too many churches have succumbed to modernity, rejecting the wisdom of past ages, treating worship as a consumer activity, and allowing parishioners to function as unaccountable, atomized members. The sad truth is, when the world sees us, it often fails to see anything different from nonbelievers. Christians often talk about “reaching the culture” without realizing that, having no distinct Christian culture of their own, they have been co-opted by the secular culture they wish to evangelize. Without a substantial Christian culture, it’s no wonder that our children are forgetting what it means to be Christian, and no surprise that we are not bringing in new converts.
If today’s churches are to survive the new Dark Age, they must stop “being normal.” We will need to commit ourselves more deeply to our faith, and we will need to do that in ways that seem odd to contemporary eyes. By rediscovering the past, recovering liturgical worship and asceticism, centering our lives on the church community, and tightening church discipline, we will, by God’s grace, again become the peculiar people we should always have been. The fruits of this focus on Christian formation will result not only in stronger Christians but in a new evangelism as the salt recovers its savor.
In Houston, it's not uncommon to find churches that operate more like secular entertainment venues with a veneer of religious morals. The church should serve as a sanctuary for worship, a space for profound encounters with God, a place of deep respect, and a source of joy. It should be where the Body of Christ unites in fellowship, drawing nourishment from Scripture, Tradition, and the Sacraments, empowering us to carry the Word into the world and evangelize. By emulating Jesus Christ in our daily lives. Our churches and their liturgies should prioritize formation over entertainment. The celebration of the liturgy ought to transcend the commonplace. A church that mirrors the secular world loses its purpose for being.
There was a time when I viewed religion and faith as strictly personal and private matters, believing that my faith concerned only me and God. I was mistaken. Such thinking has contributed to the erosion of the faith-based principles that guide our global community. Faith should not be concealed or unshared; it defines who we are, shapes how we live, and influences how we treat and interact with others. This is what I now understand, or rather, have rediscovered. Faith is indeed personal, but it also extends to family, neighbors, and society at large. Living in accordance with Christ's New Covenant and Law means embodying our faith in every facet of our lives.
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. And thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self.
Living a life of faith is not always easy. It challenges us to abandon "normalcy" and stand out in a secular culture. A faithful life demands visibility, to be the peculiar ones. We must set an example, be ready to sacrifice, and prioritize our faith, religious practices, and values over the secularism and consumerism of contemporary culture.
It is a regrettable reality that today's secular culture may not always be receptive to, or may even strongly resist, Christian values, morals, and traditions. It is imperative that we embrace our heritage, consolidate our strength, and extend the influence of our Christian culture beyond the confines of our churches.
This past Easter Sunday, we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ and reaffirmed our baptismal vows. Through baptism we claim our identity as children of God. In this context, God affirms us as He did Jesus, declaring, "You are my beloved Son; with you, I am well pleased." This is our Christian legacy, our heritage. We are summoned to embody it daily, openly, humbly, obediently, and with our whole heart.
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