Testimony. Back when I started this journey towards the Diaconate, John McGrath challenged us to write a three to five minute testimony of why we were Catholic. A testimony is not something foreign to me at all. Growing up I had the privilege of hearing people testify in Church on a weekly basis. I even had to give an official testimony in front of the entire congregation to be put on their membership list at one point. To sit down and write it out though, succinctly and only with the important parts, no rambling… that took some effort. It’s so important though, isn’t it? That’s how we introduce Christ to others. By telling them who He is, and what He has done for us. A moment for Christ to speak through our words to a hurting person who He loves entirely and completely. We each should have a Testimony to share.
This morning Father Don pointed out that Jesus used the word Testimony (or a variant of it) 9 times! Until he said that I wouldn’t have known that. I had already read that Gospel at least 4 times before Mass to write a blog and prepare myself to Worship. Yet, a word so important and integral to who we should be as Disciples of Christ, had eluded me. Christ keeps talking about all the amazing people who testify to who He is. John the Baptist and Moses are two references that any person of Jewish descent would have loved to have had on their resume. He goes a step further! He says that God, the Father, testifies for Him. Think about that for a moment. What name could you put out there in support of you that would be greater than Being itself? Greater than the force that holds all existence together. Greater than God?
The funny thing is we have God giving testimony to who we are every single day. He tells us in the Scriptures and through the Church what our name is. He calls us each by name, and loves us each individually as well as corporately. Are you believing that testimony? Or do you believe the words of others when they tell you: “You are worthless!” “You’re fat.” “you’re ugly” “You aren’t good enough.” “You’re not normal.” “You should be more like us.” A lot of the time it’s our own testimony that sabotages us. We can be our own worst critic. Some of us even give up. We have an epidemic of our youth committing suicide after being bullied on social media or abused at the hands of those who were supposed to protect them. That’s not the answer. I am here to share with you something glorious… This is who God says you are:
