DEACON TOM ANTHONY

Sunday, July 12, 2015






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

No comments:

Post a Comment