Indiana Knights / Robert Hartenstein

What if there were no tomorrows?

(Editor’s note: This week, we begin a new occasional column titled “Indiana Knights.”)

As a member of the Knights of Columbus, a thought popped into my head and I wondered where I am with my faith if there were no tomorrows.

Did I, as a member of the Knights of Columbus, honor my promise to defend the faith and the moral teachings of the Church, vote for leadership that protects life in every circumstance, give blood to save a life or feed the hungry?

If tomorrow didn’t come, could I look God in the face with love or would it be with fear? That is pretty heady stuff.

What does that have to do with faith, you ask? We Knights of Columbus serve our fellow man in every way possible because we believe that we are called to serve our God.

Because of God’s grace, we are filled with the Holy Spirit and the essential calling to reach out to others in need.

We are asked to evangelize all men through our actions and prayer. We are asked to form a council in every parish where possible and ask every Catholic gentleman to join our ranks. Our faith in our God drives us to love our fellow man through our actions.

The Indiana Knights of Columbus has been asked by Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson to “recommit to growth in holiness and actively participate in the Church’s mission.”

Our society is broken in its moral fabric, and if there were no tomorrows, where would it be? Would we as Knights have done all that we could to preserve this world we live in with charity, unity and fraternity?

As the New Year rapidly approaches, Indiana Knights must be prepared to say “yes” to our God in protecting our Church from the constant assault from our secularist society that is determined to destroy all the values we hold so dear.

On the brighter side of life, through prayer and trust in our God, if there were no tomorrows, we Knights of Columbus can be assured of a loving meeting with God our Father. Through our charity with others, unity and fraternity with our fellow Knights, we strengthen who we are and what we stand for.

As the year 2009 approaches, we must welcome new opportunities to serve others as our Lord served us and be resolute in our faith.

Indiana State Deputy Stephan Ziemba set “A call to serve” as his slogan during his term of office. All Indiana Knights are called to step forward and make a difference in the life of another through service.

The real question is: If there were no tomorrows, did we serve with love? Did our faith carry this day?

(Robert Hartenstein is state communications director for the Knights of Columbus. He is a member of St. Joseph Hessen Cassel Parish in Fort Wayne.) †