So much of our life seems anything but connected to Jesus and expressive of our love for him.  Our sheer busyness hardly leaves us with a moment to catch our breath, let alone be concerned with loving Jesus!

But, loving Jesus does not require that we pray all the time or that we are consciously aware of Jesus’ presence.  Loving Jesus is a simple matter of keeping his commandments–being gentle and reverent toward others, having a clear conscience, doing good.  Most of us are already trying each day to the things we need to do in order to be good Christians; but we also need to recognize that our good, concrete actions are actually the way we keep the Lord’s commandments.  In other words, his commandments are pretty simple to know: love as he loved, be self-giving as he was, receive others as he did, do the Father’s will as he did.  Most of all, keeping his commandments means opening ourselves to the Holy Spirit–the Advocate of Truth–who dwells within and around us…and who makes us like him.

By these things, we can be sure, that we love the Lord Jesus!

This weekend’s scripture readings are filled with images of priesthood and the work of those who share in this vocation.  Now, you may be presuming that I’m speaking merely of the ordained, ministerial priesthood and, while I am referring to their service as well, I’m particularly cognizant of the priesthood of the baptized.  When the early community was gathered, the Apostles sought the service and discernment of all the disciples…of all the believers.  And those who had faith shared their wisdom and their gifts with the community as they discerned the first brothers to diaconal ministry.  They affirmed such discernment and offered those seven to the community as servants.

In our second reading, we hear that from our baptism, each one becomes a kind of living stone that, joined with other living stones, are planted together in order to become a new creation, a living and vibrant Church with Christ as our head and each of us as members.  Yes, from our baptism we are then made priests of a new order…priests in service and in sacrifice.

Even our gospel reminds us that Christ–again and again–is asking us to place our faith in Him.  Today, as we continue to form the Church, we are imperfect; yet, the Lord invites us still to offer our lives as priests…in sacrifice and in service.  And while are offerings are “ordered” or “collected and received” by our ordained presbyters who then offer to the Father such wonderfully generous gifts, each of us are then able to receive a return from God: grace to continue our priestly work; sanctification for ourselves and the whole Church; nourishment from Christ as we share in His body and His blood.

So, I would imagine that a question may now spring forth: what kind of service or sacrifice is called for from each of the baptized as priests?  I believe that in some very particular and unique way, each of us is called to place our particular talents and unique gifts into the community of all believers.  For instance, as we seek to evangelize more and more into our world…sharing the great gift of the resurrected Christ with others, we may find that by our own words we become inviters or challengers of the environment in which we love, and move, and have our being.  This may be just the simple impetus that is needed for some to feel welcomed into faith.  Or perhaps we might cultivate a new joy that is rooted in our profession of faith…such a joy then becomes contagious and “infects” those with whom we come in contact each day.  And maybe, just maybe, the gifts that we continually receive from God in order that we might be more and more converted to the message of the gospel could be a fountain of reflection from which springs waters of encouragement for those who doubt, those who have fear, those who do not know that faith in Christ is faith in the Living God.

There are lots of ways that we can exercise the priesthood of believers, they maybe sketchy or unclear to us at the present time, but one thing is certain: we are all given the gifts we each need to be priests of Christ Jesus.  And the role of priesthood necessarily includes teaching, preaching and sanctifying.  Do not let this vocation slip passed you: grasp it and enfold into your very life…that you, too, may share in the work of ‘living stones’ that establish the living Church of our living God.

God bless you always!

Fr. David

We’re well into the Easter Season as this third week after the Resurrection commences.  It hasn’t gotten ‘old’, however: this weekend we heard the story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.  I wonder if we might take a fresh look from a different perspective: maybe we could consider this second Eucharistic meal–the first sacred sharing after the Resurrection of Christ–and reflect on the “Supper at Emmaus”.

This painting from 1601 by Caravaggio may provide deeper reflection and take you in many different directions: possibly you’re drawn to the external features of the two disciples who look worn out and tired; or maybe the innkeeper with his haggard look, and rough stubble;  perhaps the garments on the painting draw your eye as we see the effect light has on the tablecloth which will bear the sacred meal. All of these pathways to deeper reflection and greater appreciation for the gifts of the Eucharist and Resurrected Glory are valuable, yet I wonder if we might consider one further aspect: the progression of the Meal.

As the meal at the inn progresses, the earlier ‘liturgy of the Word’, if you will, which they shared on the road, flows into a Liturgy of the Eucharist when Christ blesses the bread and wine at the meal table, done in remembrance of the first Eucharistic celebration accomplished a few days earlier in the Upper Room and later fulfilled on the Cross.  “And it happened that, while He was with them at table, He took bread, said the blessing, broke it and gave it to them.  With that their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, but He vanished from their sight” (Lk 24:30-31).

In this painting, Caravaggio conveys the mystery of this sacramental moment by showing the viewer that this particular roll of bread has already been broken.  There is a piece of the bread roll already in front of Christ, and two other pieces, one each in front of the disciples.  The breaking of the bread, another early name for the Eucharist, has already taken place.  Furthermore, the attentive viewer will see that our painter has not placed a piece of the bread in front of the innkeeper.  He stands barely attentive, but more importantly, seemingly without recognition of what has thus taken place in the preceding faith-moment.  If you search the servant’s eyes, you will notice that his view is toward the top of the Lord’s head…he has not yet been drawn into the mystery of the Resurrection, nor the offering of Christ’s whole body and blood.  Still, the offering of the meal is still accessible to him, if he can only see it, appreciate it, and allow himself to be drawn by it and into it.

For us, we are so very blessed that the Lord’s offering of the Eucharist is continually shared: offered in the paschal Triduum of Christ, offered again at Emmaus house, and offered again and again–over and over–in all the corners of the world.  May we see Him, and become one with each other and with Christ.

A blessed continuation of this glorious Easter Season!

Fr. David

 

Last weekend, amidst one million faithful gathered around St. Peter’s Basilica and Vatican City, Pope Benedict XVI declared Pope John Paul II “Blessed”.  Giving great delight to the Church, Benedict now shares with us a continuous blessing by allowing us to invoke Blessed John Paul II in the midst of trial and suffering, joys and worship.  I’m particularly delighted because of the admiration I have for our late pontiff who lead the Church as I was preparing for priesthood in the late 90s.

As many of us go through our daily lives, we’ll have reason to beseech God’s continued grace to assist us, to be near us, to work within and around us; may we seek, too, the intercession of Blessed John Paul II.