Mission

http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/what-is-ignatian-spirituality

As I write this blog, I am anxiously awaiting my very first “mission” trip with teens from our parish.  We leave first thing Monday morning and have two days of serving the people of God in Cincinnati.  I already feel like this is not enough and I have not even packed my bag!  I have been drawn to this type of work since I was little, but here I sit; 51 years old and finally have the courage to venture beyond my backyard to serve God’s people. When I was reaching out to teens to join this mission experience, I thought of looking up the definition of the word mission.  Here is what Google has to say: mis·sionnoun1.  an important assignment carried out for political, religious, or commercial purposes, typically involving travel. "a trade mission to Mexico" synonyms:  assignment, commission, expedition, journey, trip, undertaking, operation

2.  the vocation or calling of a religious organization, especially a Christian one, to go out into the world and spread its faith.  "the Christian mission"

synonyms:  vocation, calling, goal, aim, quest, purpose

I shared with teens that “we will embark on an important assignmentof helping those in need  . . . spreading faith not by word but by our action!”

In looking back on these words, I realize that to me, mission is more of a verb rather than a noun.  It is the action of being the hands and feet of Christ and carrying out his call to be a servant to others.  Our scripture study group has been talking about service to others as we have studied the Gospel according to Mark.  Mark continually shows us that Jesus lived out his love of the Father by serving others even to death.  Jesus calls us to honor the Father in both our words and deeds. 

Please keep our group in your prayers this week as we join 35 others and travel to Cincinnati.  Know that we will pray for the good people of Saint William and together let us remember that we are called to be a light to each other and to the world.

Shalom,

Tina

Honor Thy Father

Happy Father’s Day! My prayers are with those of you who may be celebrating this Father’s Day without the earthly presence of your Dad.  I remember the first Father’s Day that we celebrated without Charlie, my dear father-in-law.  It was a bittersweet day but we did celebrate because he filled our life with joy, and discipline and taught us how to be men and women of honor!  We continue to celebrate his life.  May you find comfort in the sure knowledge that your father is celebrating this day with our heavenly Father!

This day marks another first for my family as Dad faces his first Father’s Day without his beloved Rose.  I have been thinking about this quite a bit since Mother’s Day.  Often you hear husbands or wives say about their spouse, “he/she is not my mother/father” when it comes to honoring their spouse on this day set aside for parents.  My parents did not fall for this notion and neither do I.  Today I not only honor my Dad but my husband, the father of my five children.  I have been wrestling with how my Dad is struggling to now be a single parent and this brings me a little closer to grasping the hard task that so many parents face in the current era.  My heart goes out to all of you Dads and Moms who have to fill both roles.  May God give you the strength that you need as you raise up his children.

Since I have been thinking of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day so much, I got to thinking of how symbolic that Sunday was the day of the week chosen for these honors.  That thought led me to think of the Trinity and parenthood which I had never thought of before.  I came upon this revelation:  Mother and God the Holy Spirit, the one sent to give courage and strength, the advocate!  Father and God the Father; the creator, the bearer of rules and consequences.  Celebrated on Sunday – God the Son – the day set aside to celebrate new life in Christ’s resurrection – the Son – who brings us forgiveness and healing and eternal life.  A good parent needs to embody the traits of each person of the trinity.

We must each strive for these traits and honor each other.  As we honor our fathers this day, let us remember to also honor our God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  More importantly, let us remember that this honor should be given every day of the year!

I cannot close without wishing the father of our parish, Father Balash, a happy birthday!  Thank you for being a good shepherd to us all.

Shalom,

Tina

One Nation under God

I am not a political activist by any stretch of the imagination, and I do not want this blog to become a place to vent political views.  However, on this the day that our nation sets aside to honor the Flag of the United States of America, I feel compelled to talk about this “one nation, under God.”

Our Little Rock Scripture Study group had nice healthy conversation concerning our nation recently in studying the Gospel according to Mark.  The scripture verse that sparked the conversation is this:

“Whose image and inscription is this?” Mark 12:16  

You know the story ~ the Pharisees and Herodians are trying to trick Jesus in stating his allegiance to God or Caesar.    Jesus answers by saying:

“Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”  Mark 12:17

I have always viewed this as a statement from Jesus that it is proper to serve God and country.  In reflecting upon this passage of scripture and the commentary which accompanied the study, I have a more full understanding of what Jesus was trying to say.  Here is what Marie Noonan Sabin has to say in the New Collegeville Bible Commentary:

     “There is more at stake than money.  Mark shows Jesus using language that would have reminded his audience of the most important verse in Genesis: ‘God created human beings in God’s image’ (1:27).

     What the response implies is this:  Caesar’s image may be on the coin, but God’s image is inscribed on every human being.  Jesus’ response is first of all a theological one.  The theological answer, moreover, touches the core of Mark’s Gospel, because Mark has shown Jesus himself to be the image of God.”

If we as Christians believe in this fundamental root of our faith; that we are made in the image and likeness of God, then we must remember that “God’s image is inscribed on every human being.”  It seems to me in our efforts to keep the separation of Church of State, we have somehow allowed there to be a separation of God and humanity.

The flag that flies over every government building, covers the casket of a fallen soldier, is handed to a grieving spouse or child of a veteran once represented a nation that honored God.  Sadly, I fear that this is no longer the case.  I recently read an article given to me from the Tribune Chronicle titled “The decline of Christian America.”  It is a startling slap in the face to me of what our nation has become.  We seem to have failed, my fellow Americans, to teach our children to love God with their whole heart, their whole mind, their whole soul.

Let us look in the mirror every morning and remember that we are inscribed with the image of God.   Let us look at our neighbor and remember they are inscribed with the image of God.  Let us stand from sea to shining sea and honor our God, for it is He who created the majesty of the mountains and oceans white with foam.  May he mend our every flaw and shine his grace upon us.

Shalom,

Tina

The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

When I hear the word Eucharist, so many different images come to my mind.  First and foremost is of course, Holy Communion.  As a Catholic, I firmly believe that Jesus works through the Holy Spirit and common bread and wine truly become the body and blood of Jesus; holy gifts for God’s holy people.  Through scripture, we know that Jesus declared “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”  John 6:35.  While I believe with my whole heart that Jesus nourishes me through Eucharist, I find that the more I believe this to be true, the more I hunger for justice; the more I thirst for knowledge; the more I want others to believe in this wondrous miracle, this perfect sacrifice offered for all.  I long for the day when all Christians come to believe in the real presence of Christ in Holy Communion.

During the Liturgy of the Eucharist, I love to listen to the eloquent prayers offered by the priest.  The words are rich in meaning and echo the words spoken by Jesus when he shared his last Passover meal with his friends.  I hang on to the words “do this in memory of me.”  I am often asked why I go to church so often.  My answer is so simple, “because Jesus asked me to.”  He asked me to remember him – to remember his sacrifice.

Just as Jesus took the bread, offered thanksgiving to the Father, blessed it, broke it and shared it with others; so too does he take me by the hand every time I celebrate this holy meal.  He thanks God for me ~ he blesses me ~ he breaks me open so that I can receive him ~ then he beckons me to go forth and share him with others.

I share this good news with you my friends.  Jesus lives through the good deeds that you and I do in his name.  Let us share this communion ~ this common belief ~ and through our Eucharist ~ our thanksgiving ~ let us give flesh to Jesus by being his hands and his feet and bring peace to this world in memory of him!

Shalom,

Tina