With the increasing secularisation of our society, young people across Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains have been reminded of their calling to be witnesses of Christ in their everyday lives.
Panellists shared their experiences on being a Christian witness in a secular age during the first Theology Hour gathering of 2024 at Campion College, Toongabbie, in early May.
“[Being a witness] is not just what we do, it’s who we are,” said Rachel Vala, Campus Ministry Pastoral Associate at Australian Catholic University. “Jesus told us that we will be His witnesses all throughout the world.
“It’s not only fundamental to Christian life, it’s effective and it works, because you never know the impact that you have on people, and it’s what we do as Christians.”
(L-R) Panellists Rachel Vala, Fr Piotr Kruk OP and Dr Peter Holmes in discussion during Theology Hour, a collaboration of Catholic Youth Parramatta and Campion College, Toongabbie, in May 2024. Image: Anna Amos/Diocese of Parramatta
Another panellist Fr Piotr Kruk OP, Chaplain at Campion College and Western Sydney University, added, “in order to be a Christian, we have to be a witness to the One that we believe in and the One that you are in relationship with as His copy. Witness leads us to become that copy of Christ in our lives.
“Pope Francis encourages us to be ‘missionary disciples’ in that we are called to share what it is we have learned from others and in that way also to grow as a disciple of Christ and more of his beautiful copy.”
The third panellist, Dr Peter Holmes, Lecturer at the University of Notre Dame, said, “so many times people talk about evangelisation or sharing your faith as a method or a program or something that we do extra, rather than just living our life, and that’s fake.
“Every single thing we do and are should be witnessing to Christ and if we’re not that, then we’re false advertising. And if we are witnesses, we won’t need to put on a pretence to bring people in, they will come knocking on our door.
“Christ said Himself, ‘by this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another’ (John 13:35) and if people saw a community of people loving each other, they’ll be knocking the door down to get in.”
(L-R) Panellists Rachel Vala, Fr Piotr Kruk OP and Dr Peter Holmes in discussion during Theology Hour, a collaboration of Catholic Youth Parramatta and Campion College, Toongabbie, in May 2024. Image: Mary Brazell/Diocese of Parramatta
When asked how to improve how we treat everyone with love, the panellists said it does take practice and strength.
“If you love someone, you lift them up to flourishing as God wants them to flourish, so my path in their life needs to be for what’s good and true for them, beyond our emotions,” Peter said.
Rachel added, “By making little acts of love towards the person or people that you find really difficult to love, it’s not just an act of love, it’s an act of discipline to put yourself in an uncomfortable position.
“If you want to love someone, don’t engage in toxic gossip if you find them difficult to love, because it will only harden your heart more and you’re opening up an opportunity for someone else to also harm their heart towards that person.”
Fr Piotr said, “In John, we hear that God is love, so when we receive the Holy Sacraments, when Jesus gives of Himself, it means that the love of God should grow in us and the more we receive God, the closer we are to God means the more we should love, there is no other way.
Fr Piotr Kruk OP speaks during Theology Hour, a collaboration of Catholic Youth Parramatta and Campion College, Toongabbie, in May 2024. Image: Mary Brazell/Diocese of Parramatta
“If you are really struggling with that relationship with a person, you have to realise that Jesus died for them as well as died for you, and He loves them as much as He loves you too, so why do you put yourself above another person?”
The panel then discussed how young people can take up the call to co-create and participate in the mission of the Church today.
Rachel said, “one of the ways we can practically evangelise is that every one of us has God-given gifts that are designed for the building up of the Church and you grace the Church when you enter into those gifts and use those gifts to glorify God.
Rachel Vala, speaks during Theology Hour, a collaboration of Catholic Youth Parramatta and Campion College, Toongabbie, in May 2024. Image: Mary Brazell/Diocese of Parramatta
“These gifts are from the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit gives us life and you breathe life whenever you exercise these gifts.”
Fr Piotr added, “The Church is all about bringing unity, because that’s the Holy Trinity. Jesus prayed that all will be one, so we are not fulfilling Jesus’ prayer because we are still struggling to be one.
“When we bring unity, we can then bring love. Even the smallest gesture of love that you do is a participation in the mission of the Church. There is a space for us to do a lot of things in terms of sharing love and peace, and if we focus on this, then we are on the right track.”
Peter said, “Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI encouraged young people at World Youth Day to ‘think big, don’t settle for little that the world wants to give you. You are made for greatness.’
Dr Peter Holmes speaks during Theology Hour, a collaboration of Catholic Youth Parramatta and Campion College, Toongabbie, in May 2024. Image: Mary Brazell/Diocese of Parramatta
“Part of our problem when thinking about evangelisation and living our faith is we tend to make it small, possibly because we’re afraid or it looks difficult to be a Catholic. But it’s going to take everything you’ve got – it’s going to take your whole life, every ounce of your strength. The whole of your life is a mission, you are a witness. We are made in the image of God and Christ tells us to be ‘little Christs’.
“It’s not difficult to know what to do, it’s just simply to live every day of your life with the complete and utter self-giving love of God. If in every interaction you have asked God to transform that into a witness of His love as someone who is good, kind, fair and work towards the good of the other, then you have witness to God and you are part of the mission of the Church.”
Theology Hour is a collaboration between Catholic Youth Parramatta and Campion College.
The next Theology Hour gathering will take place in October. Follow Catholic Youth Parramatta’s Facebook and Instagram pages for more information later in the year.
View images from Theology Hour here or below:
