This past weekend, we had our Parish Mission which was focused on having 'Eucharistic eyes' by seeing the world through the lens of Christ and authentically living out our Catholic faith. Though the entire weekend was incredibly blessed, the last event was what really drove home the message that we are called to boldly proclaim the Gospel to a world desperate to hear it. This last part was a Eucharistic Procession in which our priests carried the monstrance out the doors of the Church, around our parking lot, on the sidewalks in front of the Church, and back as we, the congregation, followed and prayed. And though the entire procession was beautiful in itself, I was struck by one thing in particular--the signs in our parking lot.
As we were following the monstrance displaying the Blessed Sacrament, we had to pass two signs that said 'WRONG WAY'. Maybe it was because I had spent the whole weekend hearing talks about embracing our Catholic identity. Maybe it was because this theme of our parish mission reiterated the point that the Gospel cannot be quieted. But for whatever reason, these 'WRONG WAY' signs brought so much clarity to me on the state of our world and the mission we have been given from the Lord.
We live in a world that is constantly telling us "Do not bring Christ into this". Our world tells us that Christ's teachings are irrelevant to the way society should be governed. Christ does not have anything to do with music or dress or culture. Christ's name should not be mentioned in schools or uttered in public. The Gospel is merely one way by which to model your life. Christianity is something that is merely lived out at Church on Sundays and in the privacy of our homes. And if anyone should attempt to bring his name out of these arenas, our society screams out "WRONG WAY. TURN AROUND. YOUR GOD IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE."
But we must be reminded that at the dismissal of every Mass, the priest concludes by saying, "Go in peace to love and serve the Lord". We, like the Apostles in Matthew 28:19-20, are told to "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." In essence, we are commanded to bring Christ into every arena, into every nation, into every heart. The Gospel is for all and our lives must be a continual and sacrificial outpouring of the love which the Blessed Trinity has given us.
And this call is summarized so beautifully by our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, in which he says, "The proclamation of the Gospel remains the primary service that the Church OWES to humanity, to offer the salvation of Christ to the man of our time, who is in many ways humiliated and oppressed, and to orient in a Christian way cultural, social, and ethical transformations that are unfolding in the world." We who have been loved, rescued, and redeemed by Christ have an OBLIGATION to bear that love to the humiliated, oppressed, depressed, unsatisfied, self-hating, and despairing people of our time. We have an OBLIGATION to use the Gospel to re-shape culture, societal values, and ethical standards. This is our call from Christ and it is what we owe our world.
Am I saying that tomorrow all of us need to go out reading the Bible to random strangers on the sidewalk? No. But what if our objective with each action was to make Christ more known and to make humanity more whole? Maybe that would mean praying before eating your meals, even when at a restaurant. Maybe it means listening and offering hope to your co-worker who constantly comes to you with problems, instead of dismissing them because you are 'busy'. Maybe it means humbly seeking forgiveness from people we have offended. Maybe it means DOING something about issues like abortion, human trafficking, world hunger or immigration reform instead of concluding that we cannot fix it. Our world needs us. Our Lord chooses us. Let us accept this mission to proclaim him.
Lord Jesus, with eager hearts and lives abandoned, we ask that you might inflame us with a missionary spirit. Give us your eyes to see the brokenness around us. Help us to recognize the vastness of the mission field and the great need that exists for your love. With your grace as our strength, your love as our fuel, and your word on our lips, may we boldly accept your call and assist you in transforming this world.
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