Back in 1955, there was a song by the Platters called The Great Pretender. The opening lyrics are: “Oh yes, I’m the great pretender.” To be a pretender means we are not what we appear to be on the outside and we are trying to hide our real feelings, thoughts, or identity. That thought is in complete contrast to what I prayed in the breviary in morning prayer last Tuesday, the Feast of St. Paul of the Cross: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever; do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teaching.” (Hebrews 7:9) That verse was followed by a response prayer: “On your walls Jerusalem I have set my watchmen to guard you.” As a priest, one of my responsibilities is to be a watchman, helping those I serve to see anything that would weaken their faith or blind them to the goodness of God and His love for them. As Catholics, we are not pretenders. We are contenders, asserting our faith by our way of life. We are not out to impose our beliefs on others but are people who want our beliefs to be respected. After all, we have been around for 2,000 years and have seen many political systems come and go. That means living who we are without concern for what others think. We believe in Jesus who “is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” That does not mean we are doomed to a monotonous, rote daily life, but people blessed with the gift of faith in Jesus who is truly the Way, Truth, and Life.