Church of St. Mary at Clinton Heights

I would like you to take a few seconds and look at your hands…..what do you see?  Do any of you see the hands of Christ?

 

St Theresa of Avila wrote:

 

“Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes with which Christ looks out his compassion to the world. Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good. Yours are the hands with which he is to bless us now.” – Teresa of Avila

 

As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of the Lord, we also are reflecting on who we are as a parish community with our annual trustee report. 

 

When I first came here last August, I was wondering what I would do here…..this parish has so much going for it and works very well….in February when I went on retreat, God showed me what my work with you would be…….to further the mission of the Church……to be a disciple with you, to help you be better disciples and then to go and make disciples.  This is the mission entrusted to us by Jesus and the reason the parish exists.  As I read the surveys, many of you said that we need to get more people involved and to reach the younger members of the community.  To do that is to call them to discipleship; but, we need to be that ourselves.  Being a disciple is not in a book or a theological idea:  it is to follow Jesus, to love Jesus, and to have a relationship with him.  This has to be the starting point.  Anything we do will fail if we are not doing Christ’s mission.   Our mission must be centered here at the Eucharist.  Here we are made into His Body and Blood; from this holy table, we are sent to be his hands, his feet, his eyes into the world.  Christ left us the mystery of the Eucharist as a memorial of His Love; He gave us the very gift of himself so we could change the world in His name.

The vision I have for us as a community is that we all commit ourselves to be disciples, grow as disciples and make disciples.   All the gifts and talents we need are already here; we just need to use them.  The gift of the Lord’s Body and Blood is what transforms us into His Church.

 

Take a look at your hands……..they are Christ’s and have a mission to accomplish: to bring Him into the world

 

I have been following the news on the eruption of the volcano in Hawaii.  Too me, the power that is evident is tremendous.   The pressure that builds is some of the lava tubes miles away from the volcano can throw rock the size of refrigerators into the air.  This molten rock from the very core of the earth is always there and when it erupts to the surface, the earth itself is recreated.  Yes, there is destruction, but at the same time creation.  In Hawaii, when the lava cools or hits the water new land begins to be formed.  Over time, this new land will be able to sustain life or make the island bigger.

What a great analogy for the Holy Spirit.  The fire of the Spirit burns in the hearts in each of us.  In Baptism and Confirmation, we receive the very life of God, the very Spirit God comes to us.  It is present in us whether we practice our faith or not.  The Spirit is like the molten lava in the core of earth; the Spirit is there working under the surface and waiting for the day we allow It to break through the solid walls of our resistance, our lack of faith, our sin, our coldness, our fear.  On that day, the fire of the Power of God erupts with such force that we are forever changed.  The hardness of our hearts is destroyed; our sin is forgiven, our fear is destroyed, our coldness is changed into the warmth of charity, and our selfishness into Love.  This is what happened in the Upper room when the Spirit descended upon the Apostles and all those who gathered in the Upper Room,  I don’t think it is a mistake that the Spirit descended like a mighty Wind and danced as tongues of fire.

Today, we need to beg God to unlock within us the power of the Spirit that flows like the lava in the core of the earth.  We need to beg God to let the power of His Love flow into the world like the lava that flows out through the fissures to re create the earth and our world.  We need to beg God to use us to break down the walls of the violence that is growing in our nation.  We cannot keep reading about children being  shot in schools and do nothing.  As Christians, the Spirit can flow through us to make the changes needed so that our youth can go to school and not worry about what could happen.  The power of the Spirit can enflame us so that those who are poor are fed, there is adequate health care for those with mental health problems, that people find a just wage and the earth itself is treated with respect and love.  The fire and power of the Spirit that flows in the heart of the Church and in our hearts can recreate the face of the earth can erupt and flow….if we open our hearts and allow God to erupt in us and into the world.  If built up steam can through boulders the size of refrigerators into the air like a tennis ball, then the power of the Spirit can blast into our hearts and change us and the world

We are challenged to take the risk today and ask the Spirit that dwells in the depths of our hearts to erupt and flow out of us like the lava in Hawaii.  Yes, things will be destroyed in us and in the world, but God will use us and empower us to recreate the world into the Kingdom Jesus preached.

 

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful

and kindle in them the fire of your love.

Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.

And You shall renew the face of the earth.

 

O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.