From the Pastor - Initiated Into the Body of Christ

Baptized, confirmed and fed continually from the Lord's own table, we who are fully initiated into the Body of Christ, have become a privileged people. Christ himself has invited us to become part of his very life, and we have accepted his invitation. Fully initiated, we have become a new creation, and have been saved by the very one we cling to, Jesus Christ. He has lifted us up and granted us eternal hope that we will live with Him forever.

Becoming a part of Christ's own body and continuing to be nourished by it, is only the beginning of our joy, however. Not only is our being a part of Christ so beneficial to our personal souls and daily life, but our becoming part of Him is meant to draw others into the same joyous union. Our lives as fully initiated Catholic Christians are to be spent becoming another Christ in our world. Like Jesus himself who laid down his life for his friends, we too are to do the same. Our becoming fully Christian is not just for our personal salvation, but for the good of the world. Fully initiated is meant to become fully functioning, fully practicing.

While the three sacraments of initiation bring us into this life of Christ, the remaining four help us to live out that faith daily. During this season of Lent we will all be challenged to evaluate how we live our lives as Christians and fellow human beings. Much will be said about repentance, and our need to “turn away from sin”. Many will focus on what is wrong in an effort to make it a bit better, and only a few will find great strides being made in the never-ending quest for spiritual perfection. Be this as it may, the weeks ahead are given to us as an opportunity to move beyond where we are, toward a fuller realization of who we are in the mind of God. Blessed with God's life, we are now to practice becoming life for one another.

The Church has been blessed by Christ by the gift of two sacraments that call us to bear witness to his presence in our daily life. Marriage and Holy Orders stand for us as sacraments of vocation that mark those privileged to celebrate them, with the sacrificial life of Christ himself. While they are unique in their particulars, they are similar in focus. And while those who do not celebrate them in their lives continue to have a distinct call to be Christ for others, these two sacraments stand as vivid reminders to us all that we are to give completely of ourselves in the service of another.

Christ wants so desperately to reach out to all his brothers and sisters, and to offer them the fullness of eternal life. He so desperately needs people who are open to joining in this task, and in their every action, reveal his presence and love. Strengthened by his own presence in their lives, the married couple, ordained deacon, priest or bishop, all work in their personal weakness to bring sight to the blind and nourishment to the hungry.

How appropriate it is that we begin this look at our own vocational call in this season of Lent. Next weekend I hope to look more closely at the sacrament of Marriage, Holy Orders the week after, and the vocational call of all who will never celebrate either sacrament the following week. In the meantime, let us not waste a moment of this chance given us to ask God to direct us more clearly in fulfilling our baptismal call. My firm hope is that these weeks ahead will make us more aware not only of our weaknesses, but our strengths in Christ himself.