Day 31
Your Moral Witness
Above all the gospel must be proclaimed by witness. Take a Christian or a handful of Christians who, in the midst of their own community, show their capacity for understanding and acceptance, their sharing of life and destiny with other people, their solidarity with the efforts of all for whatever is noble and good. Let us suppose that, in addition, they radiate in an altogether simple and unaffected way their faith in values that go beyond current values, and their hope in something that is not seen and that one would not dare to imagine. . . . Such a witness is already a silent proclamation of the Good News and a very powerful and effective one. Here we have an initial act of evangelization.
— St. Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi
God didn’t save us from a distance. In Jesus he became one of us, walked along the paths of life with real human beings through the streets of Palestine, and made his redeeming love and grace tangible. And he did that for thirty years before he preached his first sermon. Since every Christian is alter Christus (another Christ), every Christian should do the same.
Christian Billboards
This is one of the meanings of “witness” or “testimony.” Our outward behavior shows forth the truth, the goodness, and the beauty of Jesus Christ. We become, as it were, billboards and advertisements for the abundant life Jesus gives when people accept his kingship and become his followers.
Of course, first of all, moral integrity is its own reward. Living in accord with what is morally right means living in accord with what will lead us toward the fulfillment we long for; it’s following the manufacturer’s instructions — the manufacturer of human nature being God and the moral law being the instructions for how to make human nature flourish. Telling the truth, honoring our elders, obeying legitimate authority, promoting human life, respecting other people’s property, treating people with the dignity they deserve as children of God, courageously facing up to evil and corruption, wisely training and governing our raw emotions and passions, putting our gifts and talents at the service of others — these are clearly steps on the road to spiritual maturity and lasting happiness for anyone who takes them.
And yet they have a corollary effect as well. The more faithful we are to the moral law God has built into the universe, the sharper images of God himself we become. We were created in his image and likeness, but that original identity was obscured by sin and evil. As God’s grace works in our lives, and as we cooperate with that grace through freely engaging in the battle for moral integrity and spiritual maturity, that original identity is gradually restored and even enhanced. Our personal existence begins to resonate with God’s glory. We become mirrors of God’s love and wisdom. We begin to “shine like lights in the world” — a world that is darkened with greed and lust and superficial folly (see Philippians 2:15). We become, without even thinking about it, a scent of heaven that captures the attention of other people and makes them curious: “For we are the aroma of Christ for God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (2 Corinthians 2:15).
Our own moral and spiritual growth brings us interior peace and strength and overflows into the world around us; God uses it to invite others to step onto the same path of redemption we are following. This is the first and indispensable form of apostolate for every Christian.
When the Laws Were Not Friendly
In the first centuries of Christianity, this was in many ways the only form of apostolate. Christianity was outlawed. Public displays of faith and public evangelizing activities, therefore, were minimal at best and life-threatening at worst. And yet the Church continued to attract new members. It continued to grow and expand at a truly remarkable rate. How?
Because of the moral witness of the Christians: While still living within the Roman Empire, their faith liberated them from Rome’s pagan prejudices and vices. And as a result the moral and spiritual quality of their lives increased drastically. People saw how the Christians lived, it resonated in their hearts, and they wanted to find for themselves that same purpose, depth, and joy. Thus Christianity spread through the silent, moral witness of healthy Christian living.
The Beauty and Power of Martyrdom
Sometimes this witness extended beyond the calm interactions of daily life and became dramatic. The English word martyr, in fact, comes from the Greek word for “witness.” The early Christian martyrs gave definitive and irresistible witness to the truth of the gospel. These Christians modeled moral integrity through their example of honesty, responsibility, and charity; they modeled spiritual maturity through their courageous fidelity to the unseen realities revealed by Christ, like the Real Presence in the Eucharist and the promise of heaven and eternal life. In addition their example and fidelity endured the hardest test of all: physical and emotional torture — and even death.
St. Lawrence the Deacon was one of these early martyrs, or witnesses, to Christ. He resisted the Roman government’s efforts to unjustly intrude on the interior life of the Church. For doing so he was condemned to execution by burning — a truly horrible fate. The night before his martyrdom was spent in a dank prison cell, but instead of bemoaning his fate, he dedicated the whole night to prayer and song, joyfully preparing to meet the Lord. Unbeknownst to St. Lawrence, his pagan guard, Romanus, was watching closely, and such strange behavior caught his attention. The soldier’s curiosity led him to question the saint, who gladly explained the Christian faith behind his calm confidence in the face of such humiliation and suffering. Soon Lawrence was baptizing Romanus right there in the prison cell.
Our moral and spiritual witness is our first apostolate. Simply through engaging in the struggle to develop the moral integrity and spiritual maturity allows God’s grace to fill our souls and shine forth in surprising ways, catching the attention of our neighbors and opening their hearts to hear news of the kingdom. It is a primary way to love your neighbor as yourself.
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion
What idea in this reflection struck you most and why?
When have you been positively influenced by someone’s moral and spiritual witness? Remember, savor, and thank God for that experience.
In which circumstances in your life do you find it hardest to maintain your moral witness to Christ? Why do you think those situations/relationships tend to be so challenging, and what are you going to do about it?
Many Christians complain that the moral standards of today’s culture are so upside down that it makes it impossible to live with the integrity we are called to live. And yet that point of view fails to take into account at least two important factors. First, God himself is at work in our souls through his grace. If we cultivate that grace through prayer, study, and the sacraments, it will give us all the strength we need to do what is right. Second, throughout history the Church has frequently had to face aggressively corrosive socio-cultural environments. In fact Jesus himself predicted this: “In the world you will have trouble,” he promised his disciples during the Last Supper (John 16:33). And yet, the Church has often ended up influencing the culture itself more than allowing the culture to corrupt the Church.
What will you do today to strengthen your moral witness in a world gone morally mad?
- I will do a hidden act of kindness without seeking any reward.
- I will make sure to speak truthfully in every conversation and meeting I have today, refraining from exaggerations and deceptions that only feed my vanity.
- I will do something special for someone close to me — spouse, parent, sibling — just to show them I love them.
- (Write your own resolution) I will
Concluding Prayer
It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God. For you are glorified when your saints are praised; their very sufferings are but wonders of your might:
In your mercy you give ardor to their faith, to their endurance you grant firm resolve, and in their struggle the victory is yours, through Christ our Lord. Be merciful now to me, and grant me the grace I need be true to your will in my life today, that my witness may shine like a light in this darkened world and spread the sweet aroma of Christ to those around me who need it. Amen.
— Adapted from Preface II of Holy Martyrs in the Roman Missal
