BRINGS US ALL TOGETHER
Our challenge as
children of God and disciples of Jesus is to serve as Jesus served, with
humility, selfless love, generosity, joy, and a willingness to do whatever God
our Father asks of us.
We are called to
serve God and to support and spread the Good News of the Gospel, all with the
use of our personal gifts. During Jesus' public ministry He traveled widely. In
the Gospel it records the women who accompanied Jesus and the twelve Apostles.
A diverse group of women; some came from rich and prominent families; some had
been prostitutes, and others had been afflicted with mental and physical
challenges. Mary Magdalene had lived a very troubled life before Jesus freed
her from seven demons and forgave her sins. She was privileged to be the first
to see Jesus as the Risen Lord. And Joanna was a wealthy lady of the court.
It's unlikely that these two would have ever met under other circumstances.
What brought them together and united them in a bond of friendship, service,
and being committed to the mission Jesus was called to? Certainly Jesus and His
message of the Kingdom of God had transformed them. Jesus had touched them so
deeply that they were grateful to do anything for Him. They brought their gifts
and resources to Jesus to use as He saw fit. Jesus knew it was important to
bring things together.
Saint Benedict
prays, "May Christ bring us all together to everlasting life." The
Eucharist strengthens us which allows us to reveal our faith by the quality of
our lives! Jesus showed us how to bring it all together, and Paul, in his
Letter to the Corinthians, confirms this. Paul's position is in accord with his
fundamental doctrine that Christ Jesus and His followers form one Body. We are
part of Christ, members of His Body, His mystical Body, the Church. Paul's own
analogy is that Jesus is the first fruits of those who have died. In Jewish
worship the offering of the first fruits of the harvest to God was the symbol
that the entire harvest was dedicated to God. Our heavenly Father sees all of
us as dedicated to Himself through His Son Jesus, and the love which moved Him
to raise His Son from the dead will reach out to us as well in the day of
resurrection. No wonder Jesus reached out to the disciples and the diverse group
of women to where they were at in their own weakness and sin, and developed
them to be so much more. We are part of something much bigger than what is in
front of us; we are members of the Body of Christ. We are the Church!
Our challenge as
children of God and disciples of Jesus is to serve as Jesus served, with
humility, selfless love, generosity, joy, and a willingness to do whatever God
our Father asks of us. God gives us every good gift and grace we need to carry
out our task and mission. It's by His power, wisdom, and love that He chooses
to entrust His work to each one of us. No one is unimportant or unnecessary in
God's economy. Remember, the least in His Kingdom find a home and a mission at
Jesus' side.
In the Responsorial
Psalm we acclaim, "Lord, when Your glory appears, my joy will be
full" (Ps 17:15b). There is joy in serving with Jesus and in the company
of others who love and serve willingly!