Let us be concerned for each other

In his Apostolic Letter, Novo Millennio Ineunte, Blessed John Paul II wrote that the whole life of the Christian community must lead to a “high standard of ordinary Christian living.” He said:

…since Baptism is a true entry into the holiness of God through incorporation into Christ and the indwelling of his Spirit, it would be a contradiction to settle for a life of mediocrity, marked by a minimalist ethic and a shallow religiosity.

We are called to live as saints, Blessed John Paul II would say, and we are called to encourage our brothers and sisters to do the same. “Those who have come into genuine contact with Christ cannot keep him for themselves,” he said.

Pope Benedict XVI echoes this in his 2012 Message for Lent, which was inspired by a verse in the Letter to the Hebrews:

Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works (Heb  10:24).

During this Lenten time of prayer, sharing, fasting and silence the Holy Father urges us to have concern for others. We should desire what is good for our brothers and sisters—physically, morally, and spiritually. Contemporary culture has lost a sense of what is good and evil, so spiritual poverty is especially important this Lent. He said:

…I would like to mention an aspect of the Christian life, which I believe has been quite forgotten: fraternal correction in the view of eternal salvation. Today, in general, we are very sensitive to the idea of charity and caring about the physical and material well-being of others, but almost completely silent about our spiritual responsibility towards our brothers and sisters.

Fraternal correction couldn’t be more counter-cultural. We don’t want to step on anyone’s toes, and relativism teaches us to steer clear of offending others. Pope Benedict points out that we are often indifferent to the fate of our brothers and sisters, and we mask this selfish disinterest with a “respect for privacy.”

We must die to ourselves, though, and speak to those falling around us. The Holy Father said:

We must not remain silent before evil. I am thinking of all those Christians who, out of human regard or purely personal convenience, adapt to the prevailing mentality, rather than warning their brothers and sisters against ways of thinking and acting that are contrary to the truth and that do not follow the path of goodness.

Breaking away from the prevailing mentality is a big part of the New Evangelization, and it takes courage. The Holy Father says that the world needs our courageous witness, and so does the Lord:

In a world pervaded by individualism, it is essential to rediscover the importance of fraternal correction, so that together we may journey towards holiness.

This Lent, let us pray for the strength to call our brothers and sisters to a higher standard of Christian living, and let us do our part to build up the Church, the mystical body of Christ. Through this act of charity, we will sanctify each other and make our world a holier place.

Blessed John Paul II, Pray for Us.