God's marketing strategy: Preach the truth

		Living the Scriptures  with St. Paul University  Catholic Center  Fr. Nathan Reesman

Successful product marketing in America requires appealing to our desire for gain, pleasure, and self-satisfaction. Phrases like "you deserve more," "indulge yourself," "be pain-free," and "satisfaction guaranteed" are so familiar that we don't even think twice when we hear or read them.

That's why Jesus would never be hired at any American marketing firm, and it's a large part of why Catholicism is such a tough sell in this country.

Consider an ad campaign for today's Gospel. It would probably sound something like this: "you don't deserve anything," or "deny yourself," or "expect lots and lots of pain," or even "you are going to die." Anyone want to sign up to be a Christian?

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Sunday, Sept. 17, 2006) Is 50:5-9a Ps 116:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 Jas 2:14-18 Mk 8:27-35

St. Peter thought he did, and the reason why he gave the essentially correct answer about Jesus' identity as the Christ, or the long-awaited Messiah, was because he was thinking more about a Christianity in the American, pain-free sense rather than in the authentic life-changing, cross embracing, self-less sense that our Lord had in mind.

For us to say "Jesus is the Christ," and for us to truly be Catholic, means going against the American tendency to try and eliminate all pain and hardship from our lives.

There is no question that God, through his grace and our free cooperation, wants to eliminate evil from the world, but that process is not one that should turn us inward. It should instead turn us outward with hardcore actions of charity and patient self-denial. That's what St. James is talking about in his letter to the early Church.

Unfortunately we often think of the Church or Christianity as Peter did and as American marketing experts do. "What's in it for me?" "What can I get out of Mass?" "Why doesn't God answer my prayers?" "Why does the Church have so many rules?" "Why can't Christianity be easy - why can't I have it my way?"

But God's marketing strategy, and that of the Church, is simply to preach the truth about human nature anytime and anywhere. As counterintuitive as a message of embracing the cross may sound at first, ultimately we discover its truth as we try to live it out.

The happiest people we meet are those who are always thinking about others, or are sharing their gifts, talents, and resources. The greatest examples of these are the saints. They are the ones who bought God's marketing message hook, line, and sinker.

	Reflection questions • When explaining your faith to others, do you feel the need to soften it for easier selling, or do you let its truth stand on its own merits? • What are simple ways during the day that you can practice self-denial and charity?

The truth about life and about ourselves captivates us at a level far deeper than any radio or television ad ever could. When we are captivated by it, we will gladly sacrifice, suffer, and die for it. That is what it means to say that Jesus is the Christ, and what it means to be Catholic in the midst of a self-indulgent culture. Thank goodness our Lord understands marketing better than we do.

Fr. Nathan Reesman is a recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was active at St. Paul University Catholic Center as a student. Ordained in May of 2006 for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, he is the associate pastor at St. Mary Visitation Parish in Elm Grove, Wis.

St. Paul's Web site is www.stpaulscc.org

Faith Alive!

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