What if we were ordered, as were the apostles, to stop speaking and teaching in the name of Jesus? Perhaps what comes to mind are some romantic notions of underground liturgy and covert catechesis under the regime of an oppressive leader, as certain countries have experienced; or perhaps we envision the early martyrs of the church who received death because they would not renounce their faith. Perhaps we do not think this passage pertains to us in modern-day America. We are still called to speak and act in the name of the Lord. We are called to live our Faith. “To the people of our time… the Church …offers her social doctrine. In fact, when the Church ‘fulfils her mission of proclaiming the Gospel, she bears witness to man[kind], in the name of Christ, to his dignity and his vocation to the communion of persons. She teaches [mankind] the demands of justice and peace in conformity with divine wisdom.’ This doctrine has its own profound unity which flows from Faith in a whole and complete salvation, from Hope in a fullness of justice, and from Love, which makes all mankind truly brothers and sisters in Christ: it is the expression of God’s love for the world, which he so loved ‘that he gave his only Son.’ The new law of love embraces the entire human family and knows no limits, since the proclamation of the salvation wrought by Christ extends ‘to the ends of the earth’” (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, #3). Speak in the name of Jesus and reach to the ends of the earth! See opportunities to speak out at http://www.confrontglobalpoverty.org/, or http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/poverty-in-america/campaign-to-reduce-poverty/, or http://www.justiceforimmigrants.org/, or http://catholicclimatecovenant.org/.