-Last week's homly is now available at this link; August 17th Homily Audio
-The Scriptures for this coming Sunday are available at Sunday's Readings
-I am preaching this weekend at 9:30 and 12:30 on Sunday St. Albert Website
Can You Say It?
Last week I was asking if you can "see what I'm saying" emphasizing the need for us to have a picture of ourselves as "a communion of the faithful" dependent upon one another for our connection to God's Kingdom.
Jesus' question of his disciples this week reveals a more powerful aspect to this picture-thing. What if the person next to you at worship asked you the question Jesus asked the disciples....."who do you SAY that I am? Remember how God allowed Adam to "name" all the creatures on the earth. He had relationship with them, dominion over them, he named them. Remember Moses asking what God's name was - if you knew someone's name you could claim a relationship to them.
So, how is your relationship with the Body of Christ - right next to you? Do you see them and can you SAY that they are your brother and sister in Christ? Can you SAY that they are important to your relationship to God? Can you SAY that you have some power over their ability to meet God in this Eucharist?
There are four ways that Jesus wants to be recognized in the Holy Eucharist. In the Assembly, in the Priest, in the Word Proclaimed, and in the Sacred Species of Bread and Wine. The FIRST place is in the community gathered. Can you SAY who we are in Christ? If you can't SAY it then you canT claim to know it.
Who do you SAY that I am? That says a lot about who you SAY you are. This is powerful stuff.
3 comments:
I think this important element of our faith is a hard one to remember because it is constantly in competition with our inclination to focus first and foremost on self. But the line that particularly caught my eye was "Can you SAY that you have some power over their ability to meet God in this Eucharist?"
Whenever I hear an implication of some responsibility that I have for something I sit a little more upright and check my "work". I know that statement is true - that I do have the power to help someone "meet God in this Eucharist". Sometimes that is as simple of a matter as smiling and being friendly, or listening with a patient ear. Other times it may be more challenging because of a dispute of sorts that exists between us. But always what it requires is remembering and honoring that this "other" is a part of me and together we belong in love to Christ.
I love this Father!
I believe in my own heart the communion and union with Jesus in the Eucharist as simple as it is, is so very powerful it can bring two hearts together like one within Him, deepening the ability of each, to meet Him more fully.
Two great comments on our call to communion - go to God together, believing is belonging to others in Christ
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