what do you do besides talk...

Acts 5:17-26; PS 34 The Lord hears the cry of the poor; John 3:16-21

The gospel relates...

"God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him."

What a beautiful truth.  Yet this truth isn't always embraced or received.

John continues...

"And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light because their works were evil..."

Certainly a stark critique not just of the first century but every century, every generation.

But John ends on a hopeful note...

"But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God."


Which brings me to the feast and saint of the day: Blessed Frederic Ozanam.

Frederic Ozanam lived in France and is the one who began the St. Vincent de Paul Society dedicated to alleviating the need of the material poor as well as the spiritually poor.

Once in a discussion club that was made up of  variety of people of diverse backgrounds and faith, Frederic was asked the following question,

 "What do you do besides talk to prove the faith you claim is in you?"

Here is the question for is today.  What do we do besides talk to bring forth the light of Christ, the light which shines in the darkness.

UPon his death and at his funeral the priest presiding  remarked that Frederic was the following

"one of those privileged creatures who came direct from the hand of God in whom God joins tenderness to genius in order to enkindle the world."

How do we enkindle the world so that the message isn't lost and people begin to prefer light over darkness.