When All Speak Well

Accepting persecution for our faith

Acts of the apostles 13:14, 43-52

Paul and Barnabas continued on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia. On the sabbath they entered the synagogue and took their seats. Many Jews and worshipers who were converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to remain faithful to the grace of God. The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this and glorified the word of the Lord. All who were destined for eternal life came to believe, and the word of the Lord continued to spread through the whole region. The Jews, however, incited the women of prominence who were worshipers and the leading men of the city, stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their territory. So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them, and went to Iconium. The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

          My first pastor, Msgr. Gaston Hebert, taught me a lot about being a priest, and he’s still teaching me. One day while we were at Christ the King together (he was pastor and I was his associate) I was commenting that people seemed to like my homilies, and he casually remarked, “John, beware when all men speak well of you.” No one could burst your bubble as beautifully as Hebert could. He was quoting Jesus who warned his disciples in Luke 6:26, saying, “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.” I never forgot that warning: beware when all speak well of you.

          So, after I became a pastor myself, I started keeping a file of all the letters I’ve received where someone criticized me as a priest. As you can imagine, after 20 years, I’ve received my share of angry letters, and this past week I added another one to the file. Let me share a few lines of the latest letter. One side of the letter (there were two) expressed deep displeasure about noises and distractions when the person came to pray in church – like cleaning and music practice – which I’m sure everyone has felt at one time or another.  The back side of the letter began with the words, “Now about you…” and I took a deep breath, thinking: “Here it comes…” It said, “Start acting like you’re in charge, the leader. [You should] do baptisms, funeral rosaries, stations [of the cross]; we don’t want a stand in.” He or she went on: “Funeral homilies should focus on the religious and spiritual. Forget the funny stories and who said what. Visit the sick and [the] nursing homes [more] regularly and the funerals will be easier.” Here’s the conclusion: “[What we need around here is] a strong leader…[so] jump in and do it, or transfer.” Now, I don’t share this letter to humiliate the sender, on the contrary, I want to say “thank you.” You see, they did not sign their name, so I could not send a letter in response. I’m hoping whoever sent it is present at Mass, so please accept my thanks for your letter and my apology for the annoyances in church. I actually agree with many things in the letter, and will take them to heart and to prayer. I have a long way to go to be a perfect priest.

          In the small town of Ars, France, where St. John Vianney was a pastor, the priests of his diocese conspired together, and all signed a petition saying that Fr. John Vianney was not good enough to be a priest. They wanted the bishop to defrock him. St. John Vianney asked to see the petition, and proceeded to sign his own name to it, and wrote: “I do not think John Vianney is good enough to be a priest either.” Who is good enough to be a priest? Someday, I hope to be able to show my big fat file of letters to Msgr. Hebert and say, “See, here is plenty of proof that all men do not speak well of me.”

          In the first reading today, the apostles Paul and Barnabas find proof that not all men speak well of them either. They have arrived in Antioch and preach in the local synagogue. Now, some of their hearers loved their message, but others were steaming with fury and jealousy. So what did their enemies do? Acts of the Apostles reads: “The Jews incited the women of prominence who were worshipers and the leading men of the city, stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their territory.” And how did the apostles react? You might think they lodged a complaint with the Mayor of Antioch, or called the chief of police, or demanded their rights. That’s what you and I might do. Instead, they simply “shook the dust from their feet…and were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.” When the apostles suffered for Jesus, they were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. You see, I was not exactly filled with joy and the Holy Spirit when I received that letter last week, but I should have been.

          My friends, have you ever been criticized for something you said or did? I’m sure you have. But when was the last time you were criticized for your Christianity, for being a believer? I once saw a bumper-sticker that read: “If you were arrested for your Christianity, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” I worry sometimes that we avoid saying or doing anything overtly Catholic so no one will take offense and send us an angry letter. In 1985, Rober Bellah, the famed sociologist, co-authored a classic book called “Habits of the Heart,” in which he described a highly privatized form of religion called “Sheila-ism.” The book contains an interview with a young nurse with the pseudonym of “Sheila Larson,” who said, “I believe in God. [But] I’m not a religious fanatic. I can’t remember the last time I went to church. My faith has carried me a long way. [My faith] is Sheilaism. It’s my own little voice…It’s just try to love yourself and be gentle with yourself.” She basically made up her own religion that wouldn’t bother anyone else. In other words, believers of Sheilaism don’t get angry letters and persecution because their religion is purely private. Msgr. Hebert would say to her: “Sheila, beware when all people speak well of you.”

          But if you believe in Catholicism instead of Shielaism, then someone will eventually get upset with you, criticize you, and even persecute you. Why? Well, Catholicism is not purely private; it’s mean to change the world. So, be ready for some push-back when you speak up for traditional marriage, or when you show homosexual persons dignity and respect, or if you defend the rights of immigrants, or if you promote the pro-life movement, or if you stand up for religious liberty, or if you avoid using contraception and have a large family (by large family I mean having 3 children!), or if you support the pope’s call to care for the environment, or if you believe that racism is a sin found in every heart including your own, if you don’t believe in assisted suicide for the elderly and terminally ill, if you care for the refugee and the orphan and the victims of human trafficking. If you stand for any of these things, or anything else the Catholic Church teaches, be ready for angry letters of complaint and contradiction.

          Folks, people didn’t crucify Jesus because he believed in Sheilaism, but because he wanted to change the world. I think every Christian should carry a file of letters of disapproval and disagreement. Why? So that if you are ever put on trial for being a Christian, there might be enough evidence to convict you. Beware when all speak well of you.

          Praised be Jesus Christ!