SUGGESTED READING: MK 6:7-13
Jesus sent his disciples out by two, giving
them power over unclean spirits and the ability to perform miracles. Their
mission was to evangelize the faith and spread the Good News of the Gospels.
Much the same way we are all Commissioned by Christ to preach the Word of God
through our actions, conduct, and through the distribution of knowledge that we
posses being Children of God. No one is exempt from this. There are those of us
who may feel that they are unworthy or do not possess the skills in order to
accomplish the task but this is more of an act of Satan adding doubt and
unworthiness in order to deter us from the Path of Salvation. The truth is that
we are all possessors of the Light of Christ and the Holy Spirit dwells within
us. Because the Holy Spirit is an intricate part of our bodies and we are all
God’s creation we have the capability to do the most amazing things if only we
get out of our own way. All of us can make a difference and all of us are an
important part of the entire universe. We just need to step forward and start
living our lives with God.
From the moment we were
conceived in our mother’s womb, from the moment we achieved consciousness; we
not only entered this world but were sent out in it. Our companion was Christ.
He has always walked with us and continues to do so. We may not have been aware
of this all of the time but that doesn’t mean that it is not true. The
relationship must be two-fold. Christ cannot do all of the work if we are to
experience him. It is the same as it is in all relationships. In order for it
to get stronger we must work on it, study it, and above all enjoy it. When we
are called by Christ, we must respond. When we feel the joy of him being with
us, we must grasp onto it desperately and try not to let it go. There have been
so many other things that have diverted us from Christ yet we have clung to
these things which, for the most part, had negative implications to us and our
happiness. So, if that is the case, why do we still do these things even though
the result in our lives is always negative? Why do we still do these things if
they ultimately make us unhappy? To truly experience Jesus Christ fully these
questions have to be continually asked and we have to provide some sort of
answer each time we contemplate them. Through this exercise we will become
closer to Christ and understand how his love for us can affect everything in a
positive way.
In Paul’s Letter to the
Ephesians he speaks about being “sealed with the promise of the holy Spirit.”
We have also been sealed with this same promise through the Sacrament of
Confirmation. Through this Sacrament we received the Holy Chrism upon our
forehead to further our journey with Christ. We are Soldiers of Christ and are
encouraged to go forth into the world as exemplars of our faith. What was put
on our foreheads is a reflection of what is in our hearts. Just as Jesus is the
sum of all things that came before and will be afterwards, we too are
representative of this. We need to go forth and do as Jesus did and teach what
Jesus taught. Through this we learn more about ourselves and ultimately the
Love of God.
Deacon Tom
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