Sixth Sunday of Easter: Explain The Reason For Your Hope
In today’s second reading, St. Peter declared, “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope”. In other words, be ready to explain why you are a Christian. In some of the writings of the early Christians, they describe how the people around them were suspicious and in many ways misunderstood or distorted the Christian truths. St. Peter implores us to be able to explain and gently correct misunderstandings. In fact, there are many early Christian writings that are what is called apologetics, meaning that they provide an explanation of one’s beliefs.
But before one can adequately speak about his/her faith, one must first know it. And as you’ve heard me say, “Yes, it’s good to be able to defend ourselves, to offer an explanation of our beliefs, when others challenge it, disparage it, or describe it incorrectly”, as is too often the case. But as I also say, our principle reason for learning about our Catholic faith is for ourselves: the more we come to know it, the more it takes on real meaning in our hearts. And by the way, I’ve met people before, who simply love the faith and are dialed-in; they don’t need the theological details. The vast majority of lukewarm Catholics are uninformed Catholics. Most who drift away from the Church, don’t really know what they’re leaving behind.
Perhaps it’s fair to say that there are too many of us who are satisfied with the bare minimum, sustained only by the experience of Sunday Mass. Perhaps too many of us are content in not being able explain our faith in any sort of meaningful way, whether for the benefit of others or ourselves. And perhaps this leads too many of to us live as ‘underground Christians’, fearful that others might find us out.
So, I’m giving you some homework this week. On this Sixth Sunday of Easter I’m asking you to wrestle with the following six questions—to try to answer them, as though you were explaining it to someone who knows nothing about our faith:
1. As a starting point to all this: How do we know that anything is true?
2. If it’s true, as we say, that there is reason to believe in a Creator of all that is seen and unseen, What evidence is there to support this claim?
3. How do reconcile the pursuits of science with belief in a Creator?
4. If there is reason to believe in God, Why do we believe that Jesus is the way to experience God in His fullness?
5. If I have reason to believe that Jesus is the way to this God, Why should I be Catholic rather than part of any other Christian tradition?
6. Considering all the responsibilities I have in my life, not to mention, my personal interests, such as my job, family, my need to unwind, my studies, my exercise regimen, and whatever else—Why does my response to any of this matter?
By the way, I believe it’s important to engage these questions as I have them sequenced. Maybe, for now, wrestle with them in your heart and search for answers, even if it’s only the first or second question, for now. But realize, most of us are not going to be able to offer meaningful answers if we’ve never dug into them.
No doubt: they’re challenging, but they’re not mere arbitrary conundrums, nor are the answers to these questions are not intended to be mere head knowledge. They are to help us know the one who first loved us. They are relevant in the same way that understanding why you love your spouse or your children. Or understanding why it’s meaningful to be faithful in marriage. They require time, thought and prayer.
But in exploring these questions, we do well to make sure that the only sources we are engaging in pursuit of these answers are not only from those of secularists or atheists. It’s okay to learn their positions, but in whatever way you seek answers from sources, ensure that you seek answers from those who know the faith, who have answers to the arguments of the nay-sayers. Echoing the words of St. Peter, “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence…”