Phoenix, Ariz., Jan 2, 2020 / 15:45 pm
Christian friendships are necessary for living a life of faith, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia told college students in a homily Thursday.
Chaput was preaching Jan. 2 during a morning Mass for SLS20, the biennial Student Leadership Summit hosted by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS). The conference, the theme of which is "You Were Made For Mission," is being held Dec. 30-Jan. 4 at the Phoenix Convention Center in Arizona.
The archbishop opened his homily by sharing a story about three peers and schoolmates in Athens, Greece in the 4th century: Basil, Gregory, and John. "They wanted an education, and they wanted to be prepared for the future, much like most of you here today," Chaput said.
"All of them came from good Christian families," he added. "One of them was son of a bishop, one was the grandson of Emperor Constantine, the third had a grandfather who was a Christian martyr - all had interesting and important backgrounds." Two of those three men went on to become great saints, Chaput noted: St. Basil the Great, and St. Gregory the Theologian. John, however, became the emperor of Rome and became known to the world as Julian the Apostate, due to his rejection of Christianity. "What is the difference between the two who remained faithful to Jesus, and the one who betrayed and walked away?" Chaput asked.