St. Anthony the Abbot Catholic Church

Moral right and wrong are not up for grabs; they are the laws that God has written into our human nature. Lying, stealing, murdering, cheating - sins like these damage our lives and societies, just as putting sand in a car's engine will damage the car. Human nature was made to run on moral truth.

St. Ambrose, the famous bishop of Milan back in the 300s, understood this so well that he put his life on the line because of it. In those days, the Emperor was all-powerful. He made the laws, enforced the laws, and judged the laws - no supreme court or popular elections served as checks and balances. In the year 390, the Christian Emperor Theodosius abused this power.

A mob in the Greek city of Thessalonica rioted and tragically murdered some of Theodosius's officials.    Theodosius lost his temper and ordered the army to massacre seven thousand citizens of the city. He arranged for a special event in the stadium, then barred the exits and let his soldiers loose. This was an obviously unjust punishment for the crime.

When St. Ambrose heard about it, he wrote a letter to the Emperor requiring him to repent and do public penance, or all the churches would be closed to him. Theodosius's advisors encouraged him to ignore the bishop's orders, and maybe even appoint a new bishop - after all, Theodosius was the Emperor, not Ambrose.    Ambrose, too, was under pressure - offending the Emperor was risking not only his office, but also his freedom and his life.

Nevertheless, he insisted that Theodosius repent from his violation of Christ's moral law before coming back to the sacraments. After a month of hesitation and brooding, with the whole Roman Empire holding its breath, the Emperor did just that. Christ is our Savior, but He is also the Lord, and His law is to be obeyed, even when it's uncomfortable.

We are the lucky ones, because we know that Christ is both Savior and Lord.  But what about those around us who haven't found Christ yet, who don't have a friendship with Jesus? They are searching for a Savior, and they need a Lord.  How can we help them find what we have found? 

Through the three W's: our way, our words, and our works. First, we can help others discover the goodness of God by the way we treat them. Think of how Jesus treats us in the Eucharist. He is so gentle, mild, humble, and faithful. We should be like living Eucharist for those around us.

Second, we can help others find courage to follow the Lord by our words.  The Letter of James reminds us that the person who tames the tongue has reached perfection. We receive Jesus himself, our Lord and Savior, in our mouths at Holy Communion. And so, how can we then go and use those same mouths to criticize, gossip, wound, and defame? If we rather use words to encourage, guide, and inspire those around us, they will more easily hear God's call in their hearts.

Finally, we can lead others to the Savior through our works, the things we do. The New Testament tells us that whatever we do, we should do it for God's glory. From folding laundry to running a multi-national corporation, our activities are opportunities to show God that we love Him, by doing everything in a way that would be pleasing to Him. Every day gives us new opportunities to spread Christ's salvation and lordship into hearts that desperately need Him.