FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION: TWENTY-FOURTH WEEK OF THE YEAR
Saturday, September 23, 2023
by Fr. David M. Knight
Invitation:
To celebrate and experience Christ’s peace, which is something the “world” can neither give nor understand. It is a peace established through the victorious death of the “Lamb of God.” Christ’s peace is the mystery of all humanity gathered together in the unity of his risen body, in the glory of his triumph. We experience this by anticipation in the Rite of Communion.
What can the statements below add to your appreciation for the Mass?
Sunday: Forgiveness is a matter of stewardship: “None of us lives as our own master... we are responsible to the Lord.” Since God “has given us the ministry of reconciliation,” we are accountable for all divisions.
Monday: At Mass we pray especially for “our Pope, our Bishop, and all the clergy” because we are focused on unity, and those in authority are charged to maintain it.
We can’t pray for popes, presidents, or politicians every Sunday with love and badmouth them the rest of the week! That is inconsistent.
Tuesday: The true “miracle” of the Mass is that it makes present Christ’s sacrificial action of dying and rising. Apart from this, Communion cannot be understood.
Wednesday: The Rite of Communion gives a taste of the “communion of the Holy Spirit” that will characterize the “wedding banquet of the Lamb.” This motivates us, as stewards of his kingship, to work for the “unity and peace” of his kingdom.
Thursday: We cannot let our faith depend on what the bishops or clergy are. Or our parents and teachers. To persevere, seek intimate relationship with Jesus.
Friday: If we value religion for its side-effects, we may fight blindly against teaching or practices we perceive as threatening without even inquiring about sound doctrine. This is unfaithful stewardship.
We have been trained through centuries of pastoral practice to see Communion as a reward for virtue, not a remedy for human frailty. We see giving Communion as an official judgment by the pastor that one is in “good standing” in the Church.
Saturday: As “stewards of the kingship of Christ,” our task is to use whatever gifts we have received, preserving and propagating what has been entrusted to us until Christ comes again. We anticipate that coming in theRite of Communion.
Decisions:
Forgive everyone now. Start the wedding banquet early.
Pray with respect for all and respect all you pray for.
Receive Communion intelligently. Connect it with the rest of Mass.
Look for truth and you will find it. For life and you will experience it.
Have enough love to recognize love. Don’t get in love’s way.
Be poor in spirit. Recognize your void. Be open to all that can fill it.
To be a steward, be a Christian, disciple, prophet, and priest
Reflections brought to you by the Immersed in Christ Ministry
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