It is to be sent out like Paul and Barnabas.

We have just heard that it was actually about the first council. In church history, this first council is called the Apostolic Council, because those who made the decisions and had the final say were the twelve apostles. We do not know if all of them were there, probably not, but most of them were. In today’s first reading, we heard why this council was convened—disunity had arisen in the church community in Antioch. Must Christians keep the Law of Moses or not? The Law of Moses is a highly complex system—365 commandments and 248 prohibitions. Must Christians keep it? We know the answer, but if we didn’t read on and didn’t know the answer, it might be exciting to see what we would answer if someone asked us that question, and asked us, “Why? Why do you think Christians don’t have to keep it, or why do you think they have to keep it?” They could not agree on this, so they sought an authority to see more clearly and deeply into the matter, and they turned to the twelve apostles in Jerusalem.

We did not read about the proceedings today, but we read a letter, a kind of conclusion of the council, which we would call a “conciliar document.” If we look at the documents and the Second Vatican Council findings, it is a whole book. Here it is a short letter, but it has something familiar—all these texts, the council’s conclusions, whether the Second Vatican Council or this First Apostolic Council, are clear. They are simple guidelines on what to do, encouraging guidelines. There is nothing there to trample people into the ground, but on the contrary, it is an encouragement for everyday life and how to live the faith daily. Why did the council have to convene in the first place? Because people appeared in Antioch whom we would today call fanatics. A fanatic is someone who either has some inner problem and treats it at the expense of others, or wants to stand out and say, “You’re doing it wrong, I’ll show you how. You’re not pious enough.”

It is a radical person – “at any cost, under any circumstances.” “I fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. I recite all the rosaries, and I add some extra prayers, I go to all the possible pilgrimage sites. And you don’t do that? Well, then you’re bad.” No, that’s not how it is, but these people would be willing to say so. These people are eager to claim that faith and religion are about external rules and external observance of those rules. The inner self is completely forgotten. But what is very strange is that these radicals, these fanatics, appear at a time when people are confused, when people don’t know, when there is a decline in awareness, when knowledge of religion is declining. It is the case that first there is a period when this awareness declines, and then some “radical” appears who takes up the fight. We don’t have to go far abroad; even in the famous Hussite hymn “Who Are God’s Warriors,” there is a contradiction. God does not want us to fight for the gospel with swords and clubs, but to live the gospel.

The first Christians were a minority, but a minority that was respected because everyone knew that they meant what they said. In the first reading, those who tell it are Paul and Barnabas. They know that radicalism will not spread the Church, but on the contrary, the Church will lose. Every radical brings division, strife, and perhaps even war. That is not the way. Paul and Barnabas see this and are willing to “put themselves on the line” to preserve the correct moderate position. They are eager to get involved, to exert their strength and say, “No, not this!” They can do this because they have the knowledge and insight to see what is happening and know what they are talking about. If we were to say, “Do we know what this is about? Do we have to keep Moses’ law or not? If we don’t have to, how do we know? Where do we know it from? Jesus talked about it, but where is it? What does he say?” Jesus says, “I have not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it,” and then he continues. And that’s it, that’s where Jesus says, “You don’t have to keep it. I don’t want you just to follow external rules. I want you to be convinced in your heart, in your mind, to stand behind it with your life.”

The first Christians were a minority in society, but they were respected, and what was remarkable was that their numbers kept growing. We are a minority in society, not very respected, somewhat tolerated, and worst of all, our numbers are dwindling. Why? Because quite often, and this is a problem for the whole Church in our country, we are “half-hearted.” Various laws want to compare us to a gardening club or a tourist association. Why? Because that’s how they see us. A gardener goes to the garden every day. Then he comes home and does something else. A tourist usually goes on a trip once a week, then comes home and does something else. And that’s how they see it. In the best case, a believer goes to church once a week and then comes back and is someone else.” And Jesus says, “No, that’s not how it works.” I have been a believer all my life, 24 hours a day. “Be committed like Paul and Barnabas, be clear about it.” This is not just a matter for bishops and priests but for all the baptized.

This problem of half-heartedness has an entirely different dimension. Perhaps this dimension will surprise you, but it belongs here; it is part of it. This year, two new priests will be ordained for our diocese. The last time we had so few new priests was in 1984; since then, we have always had more. I don’t know how many priests in our diocese have died since the beginning of this year, but it was more than two. Four candidates are applying to the seminary for the first year, and this is not the first time. And if you ask those who leave during their studies, what will they say? Well, they’ll say, “I saw that something is half-baked here, and I don’t want to be a cop who’s always chasing someone, but I also don’t want to be, I don’t know how else to say it, a clown who’s playing a role, who’s putting on a show. I meant it sincerely and honestly, but I don’t get the same response.” And that hurts the most.

She is currently preparing for her first Holy Communion. The program is designed so that the children always receive two worksheets to fill out at home with their parents’ help, and I know very well that this is often difficult for the parents. The last question was: “What is catechesis?” And now the children were saying: “Well, no one at home knew that.” But the kids found the courage to ask, and that’s right, because all preparation is about seeking answers to questions so that we can defend our faith, so that we can be like Paul and Barnabas, so that we can say, “I believe this, this is right, but this is not.” This is either fanaticism on the one hand, or laxity on the other, and this is not right.“ Let’s not be those who say, ”It doesn’t matter.” It does matter, because it concerns my life, not someone else’s, but let’s have the mindset and courage that Paul and Barnabas had. Let us be committed to our faith, let us be those who are passionate about it. Not half-heartedly, not for an hour or two a week, but for our whole lives, because we are believers for our whole lives. In the Gospel, we heard how serious Jesus is about us. Let us say to him today: “Lord, I am serious about you, too.