Fr. Alberic Lazerna of Tallahassee's Saint Louis Catholic Church is looking forward to seeing his parishioners attending Mass, but he is equally interested in how they live their lives as Christians outside church walls.

In his column in the church's Oct. 4 bulletin, Lazerna helped define what it means to be a true Christian. He noted that Christianity is not just a question of what someone has not done, it is about what Christians do or what they can do.

While many Catholics go to Mass and take Holy Communion, it is important to grow in your faith, Lazerna said in the bulletin. A purpose of the Holy Eucharist is to show love for God in a Christian’s daily experience, whether it be to stand against social injustices or to provide comfort to others. 

We grow in the blessings of the Eucharist by loving those who hate us and forgiving those who seek to do evil against us, Lazerna said. Through those actions, we grow closer to God, whose love is unconditional. 

If we fall short of using the blessings of love, Fr. Lazerna warned that the Lord may take our vineyard from us.