To Whom Do We Belong ?

Do you think you belong to anyone?

My parents were raised in the Pacific Northwest in the 1910s and '20s. If you were of Irish ancestry, you were Catholic and belonged to that group. If you were English ancestry you were most likely protestant. And the groups didn't mix! This kind of belonging can feel comforting, but has important limitations.

By virtue of our baptism, we belong to "GOD". If we were baptized as infants, we may need to go through an experience of conversion as adults to experience this belonging to "GOD". This has happened to a few folks I know and the change that takes place in a person who comes out of the darkness of inactivity to full fellowship and communion is like witnessing an orchard of fruit trees locked in the death grip of winter suddenly spring to radiant life with branches covered with verdant leaves and blossoms in full bloom. [I can't get orchards out of my mind.]

Paul says in [Romans 14:7-9] "None of us lives as our own master and none of us dies as our own master. While we live, we are responsible to the Lord, and when we die, we die as his servants." We belong to "GOD". "Both in life and in death we are the Lord's."

And this is a good thing. But why is it good?

A few weeks ago and prior to my retreat, I had coffee one evening with my friend whom I shall call Tom [not his real name]. He is a very cheerful, energetic, intelligent fellow who sometimes gets very excited about things. On this particular night he became animated, then angry about a situation involving other people we both know. He carried on for some time in this angry way. When I arrived at my house, I realized that I was feeling angry too. This seemed strange because Tom wasn't angry at me. But I had somehow picked up the feelings of his anger and internalized them. Yodi shivered in his little bed when I entered the room. He too picked up on these angry emotions.

This happens quite frequently among people, and I have learned how to cope with these feelings. I prayed and asked the Lord to remove these feelings and fill me with his Spirit and his peace. And the Lord did so. This is part of the Good News. I encourage you to try it. I feel things inside myself that harm me and I do my part to try to let go of it... and I invite the Lord to fill me with his Spirit of peace. This is the central dynamic of forgiveness about which is found in both Sirach 27:30 - 28:7-- and the Gospel-- Matthew 18:21-25.

Now suppose that Tom in fact had been angry with me for some reason. My approach would have been the same-- I would have felt the hurt and humiliation inside myself, including, perhaps the responsibility for his anger-- [if in fact I was in the wrong]. I would have offered to take responsibility for what I had done-- if he [Tom] would pour his spirit of friendship into me to give me peace. If we had done this, he would have forgiven me, and we could continue our friendship in peace. This isn't easy, but it is powerful. Not only would Tom pour his spirit of friendship into me-- but the Lord would bless our interaction with his Spirit of peace. A doubly whammy!!

In fact we humans are not able to forgive so completely and thoroughly as to bring complete healing and reconciliation. We must rely on "GOD'S" participation in reconciliation and be reconciled to "GOD". Psalm 103 reminds us that "The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger and rich in compassion. He pardons all our iniquities, he heals all our ills. He redeems our lives from destruction, he crowns us with kindness and compassion."

We can enter into this spirit of reconciliation and receive forgiveness and healing from "GOD" because of what Jesus did for us in his passion, death, and resurrection... he broke the power of sin and death. That is why Christ died and came to life again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. As his body was broken and his blood poured out, the Father reached into the depth of the sin heaped upon him and pulled him into new life. The Father broke the hold of sin and death on all human beings. One consequence of the Father's action is that no matter what we may have done to one another that is hurtful or wrong, our taking action to offer forgiveness releases the tremendous power of "GOD'S" love to bless the two offering and receiving forgiveness. The same thing happens when we ask "GOD" for forgiveness. We release his power of love and healing.

Because this release of love and healing is so central to Jesus' passion, death and resurrection-- he wanted to make sure the disciples understood that his passion and death weren't ends in themselves... far from it ... but were acts that would release "GOD'S" healing and love. At the last supper, trying to find words and symbols of this action, he took bread as the most obvious and concrete metaphor-- and tried to help them see that the imminent breaking of his body could be signified by breaking bread. Then when supper was ended, he took the cup he gave it to his disciples and said that the wine that has been poured into this cup is the obvious and concrete metaphor for his blood that would soon be spilt. At the moment his body was broken and his blood poured out, [He said], the forgiving and healing power of "GOD'S" love would be made real and manifest for all.

This is of course what we celebrate in our Eucharist, [Holy communion]. As the bread is broken and the wine poured out, Christ-- who is truly present in this bread and this wine on this altar-- releases upon us who are present to consume it-- his powerful love that forgives and heals and grants peace.

We recognize this reality immediately before communion when we say, "Lord, I am unworthy to receive you,..." In other words, "Lord, I have all sorts of hurts, worries, fears, resentments and the like inside me-- and they prevent me from giving and receiving love more fully to you and those who are around me." "...but only say the word, and I shall be healed." "I shall be healed because the power of your love is present here in our midst as the bread is broken and the wine poured out." This healing isn't abstract and theoretical. It is real healing of present hurts, fears and anxieties as well as healing of memories of hurts, fears, and anxieties.

It is our participation in this action that makes real and concrete our belonging to Christ. We began to belong to him in our baptism or adult conversion. We show our belonging to him ever more fully as we participate in this action of love.

So-- let's all open ourselves in a new and fuller way to this forgiving and healing love as we continue to receive Christ. This is the Good News of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Now that made Yodi stop shivering and start wagging his tale!

So Yodi...this is reason #72 ...[whoops] that belongs in another post and another topic.

Bless you all.