As a reminder to live in such a way that we invite others to grow closer to God, today’s readings are a fitting send off as I graduate in May.  In the first reading, Philip offers us a fantastic example of letting the Spirit lead him to help introduce someone to God.  The impressive part about his actions is the faith that it took Philip to approach the man in the chariot to begin a religious conversation. 

As a very vocal and outgoing person, it surprises me and somewhat embarrasses me how much I struggle to bring up my faith in conversation.  When I am consciously trying to include God in my interactions with others, I find that even little mentions like, “Wow, God sure blessed us with a beautiful day!” are a good step toward evangelizing to others.  However, it should not stop there.  How often do I come in contact with people who I could invite to Mass with me? 

We (at least I) often avoid bringing God explicitly into conversation with others out of fear of rejection or ridicule for my beliefs.  But when I stop to think about it, what am I afraid of?  Could it be that I am afraid of letting go of this easy, straight-forward, personal faith that I am living?

Archbishop Timothy Dolan, newly named Archbishop of New York, offers a warning against the passive form of faith that I see in myself at times:

"Maybe the greatest threat to the church is not heresy, not dissent, not secularism, not even moral relativism, but this sanitized, feel-good, boutique, therapeutic spirituality that makes no demands, calls for no sacrifice, asks for no conversion, entails no battle against sin, but only soothes and affirms."

The important part for us to remember is that, like Philip, we have the Holy Spirit to guide us.  We do not have to worry about what to say, we simply have to pray for guidance.  And during those times when we are ridiculed or ignored, it is helpful to remember that, “Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” (Matthew 5:10).  The key goal of Catholicism, and Christianity in general, is evangelization.  The Gospel today reminds us of what people receive when they turn to Christ: eternal life.  With such an incredible gift to offer, we should be eager to let the Holy Spirit use us to lead others to Christ.

Personally, I plan to make a conscious effort to live an active faith that invites others to join me on the journey.  I hope to keep this reminder consciously with me as I graduate this May and move into the next phase of my life.

Join me in praying that God will send his Holy Spirit to make us beacons of his love in our words and actions and to give us courage in living out an active form of our faith.  As my hero, Pope John Paul II said: “Be not afraid!”