To the Ends of the Earth: Legacy – Week 8, Day 4 – Hell Will Not Prove Stronger Than the Church
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Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”
Matthew 28:16–20
Jesus sent his disciples out to the whole world to draw others into the kingdom of God. That commission has continued in the Church down through the ages. We as Catholic men today share in that call. Being a witness for Jesus is a great responsibility, an incredible privilege, and an inexpressible joy. Christ calls us to be his hands and feet, eyes and ears, indeed, his very presence in our world.
This is the Great Commission. As members of the Church, we have the Holy Spirit to guide us in the work we do for the kingdom. Every prayer, every word, and every deed is a page in the story of our lives, written in the Lamb’s book, laid open for others to see. We must understand the importance of leaving behind an example of solid, sold-out faith, a faith that inspires others to continue the journey, builds up the Body of Christ, and gives honor and glory to God.
This week, we will reflect on the following:
1. Like the Apostles, we are called to follow Jesus.
As members of the Church, we have been called to follow in the footsteps of the Apostles, the martyrs, and all the saints. To be a witness for Christ is our heavenly goal. The story of our Catholic life should be a story any believer would want to hear. As we follow, so do we add to the story of the Church as she readies herself for the wedding feast when the Bridegroom will come again.
2. The response to God’s call is either worship or doubt.
We can either fall in surrender before our King or reject him and turn away. Whatever our response, Jesus is still Lord. He continues to call men to be his witnesses to the world. We must ask ourselves if our lives give testimony to the glory of the One who gave himself up for us, or if they speak only of our own selfishness and sad pride.
3. Jesus approaches us with authority.
Our Lord gave up his heavenly throne to live among us as a man, and he continues to approach his people with the same love that brought him down from heaven. Because of the cross, he — and he alone — has the authority to call us to follow. How we respond to that authority will determine the legacy we leave behind.
4. We are called to make disciples, baptize, and teach.
We have not been called to make conversions, but to make disciples. This means that not only are we to lead people to Jesus, but we must also be prepared to walk with them on the journey to heaven. We cannot simply check off a list of Catholic tasks. We must give our lives over to the cause of Christ and draw future generations into the kingdom of God.
5. Christ is with us always.
Perhaps we should take the last sentence in Matthew’s Gospel as a command: behold, Jesus is with us forever! Accepting that we have the presence of Christ to guide us is foundational to our witness in this world. Our every action in this life should bear the touch of his grace and shine before the Church and the world as we point the way to heaven for all who come seeking the Savior.
A Call to Action
As Catholic men, we share an incredible legacy in the Church. We have the Holy Spirit as our counselor, the word of God as our comfort, and the teachings of the Church as our commission. This week, make a deeper commitment to step into this legacy, standing side by side with your brothers in the faith. Empowered by the Spirit, informed by the Gospel, and nourished by the sacraments, pledge to shine your light before all the world. Take Christ’s commission seriously and live it out joyfully, knowing that your greatest reward is yet to come.
Remember: one day, we will see the fruit of our efforts, the result of our faith and charitable work for the Gospel. And what a glorious day that will be!
You can learn more about the To the Ends of the Earth Series HERE
Mark C. McCann is an author and Ministry Consultant with more than 30 years of writing and ministry experience. He has published articles for a number of Catholic magazines and websites including St. Anthony Messenger, Emmanuel Magazine, Liguorian Magazine, Catholic Stand, the Connecticut Catholic Men's Conference, and Homiletic and Pastoral Review. He recently published the 4-volume Catholic men's devotional, To the Ends of the Earth, as well as the 2021 Advent Daybreaks devotional and 2022 Lenten Daybreaks devotional with Liguori Publishing. He has also released his End Times novel series, Jacob's Dream: The Vision and Jacob's Dream: The Final Battle. He was a radio host and producer for 8 years at a Connecticut Christian radio station and has worked as a Catholic religion teacher/campus minister and a parish youth minister. He has also served the Norwich, CT Diocese as a Youth Ministry Director and Family Life Director. He currently lives in Connecticut with his Proverbs 31 wife, where together they have brought up three incredible children. He strives each day to live out his call to be a man of words. You can learn more about Mark and his writing at www.wordsnvisions.com.
