In the first reading for this day’s Eucharistic liturgy in the Roman Catholic Church, we hear the author reminding the people of the new revelation of God in Christ, that they need not be afraid of God. They have not drawn near to a raging God, a terrible storm or a frightening sound. The “New Jerusalem” is the city of God where feast Christ, His angels and saints.
We see Jesus sending out His apostles to reveal their trust in their calling by not trusting material advantage and supports. They are to go out and bless this world with God’s grace alone as their support.
These two readings have a drawing near and going there theme. Jesus calls us close in the Eucharist and in our own private prayer, but eventually, as he did with these early apostles, He sends us out as well. This is not banishment, abandonment or uncaring.
Mission is an important aspect of intimacy with Jesus. The word “mass” and “mission” actually come from the same Latin word, “Misus”, which is a part of the verb which means to send.
God has come close to all of us so that we need not be frighten by what God thinks about us. We are God’s people and we have been called to sit at God’s table and feast at the ancient banquet. This feasting leads us to the second thing about which we need not to be frightened. We are encouraged to go fearlessly into our worlds to protest that we know who we are and what we are about. We are God’s people and we wish, by our words and actions, to reveal what God thinks of our brothers and sisters as well.
Today we are invited, as every day, to draw close to the God Who has drawn near to us and then go out to draw near to God’s people. By how we reveal our trust in God’s drawing near to us, we will lead others to let God draw near to them.
Rev. Larry Gillick, SJ
I entered the Society of Jesus in 1960, after graduating from Marquette University High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and attending St. Norbert College for two years. I was ordained in 1972 after completing theological studies at the Toronto School of Theology, Regis College. I presently minister in the Deglman Center for Ignatian Spirituality at Creighton and give retreats.
I enjoy sharing thoughts on the Daily Reflections. It is a chance to share with a wide variety of people in the Christian community experiences of prayer and life which have been given to me. It is a bit like being in more places than just here. We actually get out there without having to pay airlines to do it. The word of God is alive and well.
