It is so beautiful to see the new born child. They are so small and need all our care. They immediately become the center of attention. These are very sacred and precious moments. When this particular child is shown to family and friends, we need to be touched by the truth that this is the beginning of creation. The only difference between the first human beings that appeared on the face of the earth and this child, is the number of years in-between. Creation is beginning in this precious moment with this precious child.
It is the same with our Christian faith. Whoever coined the phrase “God has no grandchildren, but only children born of the Spirit,” was right on. Each person must be called to a living faith and take the step to become a living disciple of Jesus.
Too many people that have been born into the church (note that I did not say born into the faith) see the ceremony that was performed over then when they were babies and that they made their sacraments in grade school, now constitutes them as good believers.
Each adult must come to terms with the call of Jesus to live and share in the life and mission of Christ. We may have to go through some trials and struggles but the direction that our faith leads us is to become living disciples of Jesus. Our lives are meant to become a living extension of the life and compassion of Jesus Christ.
Simply put: the believer must now become the Christ! Each person must become the living face of Jesus.
One of the very weak parts of our Church is the absence of a living sense that each person has the mission of Christ to the world. Our faith is much more than just doing religions things in church. We have the final blessing at the end of each Sunday Eucharist that sends of forth into the world to be the living hands of Jesus Christ.
Live your faith in the world!
At work, there are two new refugees from the Ukraine who are trying to learn the language and function in this Canadian society. You take time to help them; even repeating yourself ten times on a particular word or practice. Be Christ in your work situation.
You have a classmate from high-school days who is heavy into the drugs. You feel very helpless and have serious anxiety over what might happen to him. All you can do, and you do it with energy, is pray for him. Sometimes you think that you are literally pounding the door of heaven, asking for a breakthrough in this man’s addiction struggles.
Your teenagers can make some foolish decisions and must now live with the consequences of their decisions. You try to support them through this difficult phase of life. I can understand your decisions, but I certainly cannot agree with your decisions. I will hot reject you, but I will walk with you through this searching phase of life.
We want to strengthen that sense that we have a mission in the world. We are chosen by Christ to become his living face in the world. Our religion is not confined to the interior of the church building but is meant to be empowering to do the work we have been called to make Christ present in the workplace, the hockey arena and the hospital waiting room.
Our baptism commits us to doing the work of Christ in our time and place. We have been sent by Christ to the world!
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