May 16, 2025
Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter
My sisters and brothers in the Lord,
Welcome to week twenty of BMW, Be My Witnesses. After a few weeks of prayer, learning, and knowing we belong to something more than ourselves, it is time to get out there on mission. Luke 9:23 records Jesus’ words: “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” We are to live as Jesus did, in other words. That is how we manifest the Christian life.
Mission: Manifest the Christian Life
Jesus makes is pretty clear that living the Christian life is not easy. It is not a way of life which just follows the flow of things. It is truly following Christ. All of us have a tendency to pick and choose those things said or done by Jesus that we find helpful and perhaps easy. We tend to gloss over those words and deeds which we find challenging. But this week, let us at least acknowledge the need to be attentive to the challenging words of Jesus.
Certainly, the care we are to extend to our least brothers and sisters can be difficult for many of us. We are continuing our practice in the next two weeks to focus on those corporal and spiritual works of mercy. So, here let us focus on some other challenges, the denying ourselves and taking up our crosses.
It is not as though we have to create problems for ourselves. They come our way whether we like it or not. It is what we do with them that counts. The aim is to follow Christ with whatever cross has been handed to us. So, what does that mean, to follow Christ? It does not mean that we glory in the pain or difficulty. The Lord did no such thing. Rather, he embraced his cross as an offering to his Father, always seeking to do the Father’s will. Embracing a cross means accepting it, taking it in, almost being stoical about it, all because there is some greater good to be achieved. That is part of the Father’s will for Jesus as well as for us. God can draw good out of anything, even out of any evil. How is it that we cooperate with the Father to achieve that good.
This focusing on the future, on the eternal, is what makes all this possible, what makes our endurance possible. We firmly believe that there is a greater meaning and purpose in life, as did Jesus himself. Compare this to the rest of humanity who live as though there is no meaning, nor purpose, ultimately no hope. For them everything is drudgery. For us, it is a pilgrimage and that is the witness we are to bring to others through our lives.
We Christians trust in this God to achieve the good, to give purpose to our trials. St. Paul once wrote: “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Paul is even so bold as to write: “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church” (Colossians 1:24). Of course, what is lacking is our whole-hearted participation in the Cross of Christ.
The Challenge
For this week's challenge, look inward to see where we, both as individuals and as a small group, are most challenged by Christ and then ask the Holy Spirit for the courage to meet that challenge.
Until next week, may God Bless you.
+ Earl Boyea
Bishop of Lansing
P.S. Below is a video version of this week's Be My Witnesses. Please do share with family and friends. Thank you. God bless you.