Note: On Tuesdays and some Sundays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.
The seven churches of Asia named in the opening chapters of Revelation all had their strong points… and the places where evil
was testing them. Of the two cited in today’s first reading, Sardis is warned to repent; Laodicea’s lukewarmness to the Lord is noted.
Now, I suppose one could attempt to tie the shortcomings of the churches to those of the Catholic Church today. However, that would have to be someone far more learned than me. Rather, I started considering how the admonitions might apply a little closer to home… the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, they produce the fruits of charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity.
But those fruits can be choked when we choose not to listen to the Holy Spirit. Without fortitude, faithfulness, self-control, and chastity can go by the wayside. Kindness, goodness, and generosity die on the vine without understanding. We can have none of the fruits long term without fear of the Lord, when we define that fear as reverence and gratitude for His many gifts and presence in our lives.
The counsel to the churches of Asia was in essence to continue to grow spiritually, in faith, in courage, in humility. That counsel applies to us as well. Our call as Christians is not to rest on our laurels, to puff out our chests with pride, or to flagellate ourselves mercilessly for our many flaws. Rather, it’s to be constantly vigilant, our ears always open to the Spirit’s direction.
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