July 3, 2019
by Amy Hoover
Creighton University's Retreat Center
click here for photo and information about the writer

Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle
Lectionary: 593


Ephesians 2:19-22
Psalms 117:1bc, 2
John 20:24-29
Praying Ordinary Time

Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer

Understanding the Mass

The message I get from today’s readings, when read together, is the invitation from God for us to be united to and in Christ.  As I wrote this, I wondered who “us” was.  In Ephesians, Paul is uniting the uncircumcised believers with the circumcised believers and encouraging them to recognize that the Lord is “building them together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”  In John, Jesus is blessing those “who have not seen and have believed.”  The common word seems to be “believers”.  An invitation for unity of all believers?  Maybe so.  To what end?  Today’s Psalm answered that question for me.  “Go out to all the world to tell the Good News.”   I would also add be the Good News.  This seems like a tall order from my prayer today. 

So I asked what it could mean for me on a personal level.  The response was to simply be a reconciling and unifying presence in the world in my world, in my daily life.  Look for those opportunities to reach beyond, but start in my daily life.  An invitation to start in my community, my work place, my relationships.  Where can we be more accepting of one another? 

I don’t think this means that we have to agree on all things but maybe move toward the belief or choosing to believe (without seeing) that we are being called together to be a “dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” 

So, I will simply invite us all to consider today - How can we each be the reconciling, unifying presence of Christ today?  Imagine how things could be different if we each embraced this invitation to be the Good News, be Christ to the world.

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