Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Mathew 28:19
What good is a candle if it sits on the mantle on a dark night with no flame? With a single ignited wick, a whole room is engulfed in the warm glow of its light and the gentle dancing of the flame.
A Catholic is no different. We must also be that beacon of brightness that lights up the way for others. We must light up the night in other lives and allow others to wake up and take notice of the world around them. We must be Radical Catholics.
What do I mean by the term Radical Catholic? I mean that we must live simple Catholic lives. That’s it. Day in and day out. Every minute of our lives we must allow our faith to direct us. The important point is that others know we are living our faith. More importantly, we do it without fear of the consequences.
How does one recognize a Radical Catholic? Here are a few examples. A Radical Catholic:
- Will say grace before every meal. Even if it happens to be at the office, the factory lunch room, a restaurant or at the mall.
- Will go to Mass every Sunday. Yes…every Sunday. Even if happens to be their vacation. Even in lousy weather. Even if you were up the night before. Every Sunday.
- Will pray the Rosary and read scripture without fail – daily. Even several times a day…and not be afraid to talk about it when the topic comes up. A Radical Catholic will pray anywhere where it is required or asked for. Anywhere.
- Will live the 10 commandments as commandments and not as suggestions…because God wrote them (and they know they always lead to good).
- Will know that there is a hell and they know some souls do end up there and are not afraid to say so. They live their lives to reflect this knowledge
- Will be humble and meek, because Jesus taught us and asked us to live this way.
- Will always practice faith, hope, and charity.
- Will be patient with fools, forgive their enemies, and treat their detractors with kindness…even if it hurts.
- Will go to confession not out of fear but because they know God loves them.
- Will never worry about what others may say or do to them for living Catholic lives.
- Will always look at Jesus Christ as their example to live by. Radical Catholics sacrifice their lives for the faith they live by.
Go ahead. I dare you. Go out and live a Radical Catholic life. You only live once.
Copyright 2017, Luciano Corbo
Luciano Corbo
Luciano Corbo holds a Master of Arts - Integrated Studies from Athabasca University. His major interests are Culture, Work, Organizations and Leadership, within a context of Catholic Social Teaching Principles. He writes from Canada.
2 responses to “Radical Catholicism”
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Thank you so much for writing this, my brother. I always love reading what you write. I suppose it is because I believe as you do. I work hard to be a Radical Catholic. But sometimes I falter. Christ knows this but loves us anyway. We just need to dust off our back sides, pray, get up off the ground, and keep going.
Many of my fellow Catholics have become complacent.
I will try to live as you mentioned as an example of Christ. Love you, my brother in Christ.
Greetings brother and well said!
Thank you for your kind words.
We all falter…I would hate to think where we would all be if not for the sacrament of Reconciliation. We must never stop in our humble service and sacrifice to our Lord our God. God bless brother!
Luciano