Optional Memorial of Saint Callistus I, Pope and Martyr

Brief Background:

Saint Callistus I was the 16th pope of the Catholic Church, serving from approximately 217 to 222 AD. Before becoming pope, he experienced slavery, imprisonment, and forced labor. As pope, he became known for emphasizing God's mercy and defending the reconciliation of sinners who sincerely repented, even after committing serious sins. His approach faced opposition from those who believed the Church should be stricter. He is traditionally honored as a martyr.

Patron Saint of: Cemetery workers, gravediggers, and those who care for burial grounds.

REFLECTION:

Last night, I was at Chaminade University for a vocation panel organized by their Campus Ministry Team.

After the event, I stayed back and talked story with some of the Marianist brothers, their Campus Ministry Team, and a Jesuit priest visiting from Texas. During our conversation, one of the Marianist brothers shared something he couldn't quite comprehend. He said that sometimes he encounters parents who have not baptized their children. And when he asks them why, their response is, "Well, I don't want to force religion on my child. I want them to choose for themselves." And I responded, "Yeah, but they choose everything else for that child!"

Think about it! Parents choose what school their children attend, what food they eat, what clothes they wear, and what activities they participate in. But when it comes to faith, suddenly we don't want to make that decision because we want them to choose?

Now, don't get me wrong. Faith cannot be forced. But there's a difference between forcing someone to believe and giving someone the foundation to believe. And as I thought about that conversation, I realized something. We have become people who don't like to be challenged.

We don't like being told what to do. We don't like being corrected. We don't like hearing that perhaps something in our lives needs to change. And sometimes, we bring that same attitude into our relationship with God. We want a God who comforts us, but we don't always want a God who challenges us. We want a God who forgives us, but we don't always want a God who calls us to conversion.

And that's exactly what we see in today's Gospel.

Jesus challenges the Pharisees and the scholars of the law. These were religious people who knew the law and were very comfortable telling others what they needed to do. But when Jesus points out their own shortcomings, suddenly the challenge becomes uncomfortable.

Isn't that true for us as well? We're very good at pointing out what others need to change. But when someone points out something we need to change, suddenly we have a problem!

In our first reading, Saint Paul reminds us of the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And here's the thing. Those fruits don't just appear overnight. They require us to grow, to change, and sometimes to be challenged.

Today we also remember Saint Callistus I, a pope who defended the Church's ability to forgive and reconcile even those who had committed serious sins, provided they sincerely repented. He reminds us that God's mercy is always available. But mercy doesn't mean we don't need to change. God loves us as we are, but He loves us too much to leave us as we are.

My friends, the Gospel is not always meant to make us comfortable. Sometimes it needs to make us uncomfortable, because that's how we grow.

So perhaps the question we need to ask ourselves today is this: Do we only want a God who tells us what we want to hear? Or are we willing to listen when God tells us what we need to hear? Because the greatest challenge of the Christian life is not changing everyone around us. It's allowing God to change us.