Courage Arises – A Homily Virtually No Priest Would Give
“To reach such fortitude, man must in a certain way ‘go beyond’ his own limits and ‘transcend’ himself, running ‘the risk’ of an unknown situation, the risk of being frowned upon, the risk of laying himself open to unpleasant consequences, insults, degradations, material losses, perhaps imprisonment or persecution. To attain this fortitude, man must be sustained by a great love for truth, and for good, to which he dedicates himself.” -Pope Saint John Paul II
The Cost of Courage
Prof. Robert P. George of Princeton University addressed the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC, on May 13, 2014:
The days of socially acceptable Christianity are over. The days of comfortable Catholicism are past. It is no longer easy to be a faithful Christian, a good Catholic, an authentic witness to the truths of the Gospel. A price is demanded and must be paid. There are costs of discipleship—heavy costs, costs that are burdensome and painful to bear.
… It is to expose oneself to scorn and reproach … to place in jeopardy one’s security, one’s personal aspirations and ambitions, the peace and tranquility one enjoys, one’s standing in polite society. One may in consequence of one’s public witness be discriminated against and denied educational opportunities and the prestigious credentials they may offer; one may lose valuable opportunities for employment and professional advancement; one may be excluded from worldly recognition and honors of various sorts; one’s witness may even cost one treasured friendships. It may produce familial discord and even alienation from family members. Yes, there are costs of discipleship—heavy costs.
Fr. John Lankeit’s Courageous Homily
Listen, now, to Fr. John Lankeit give a homily that virtually no priest or bishop has the courage to give, but is the greatest need in our times.
