September 5, 2010:

Let us pray that we may realize the freedom God has given us in making us his sons and daughters”

We begin our liturgy this weekend asking that we may realize the freedom God has given us in making us his sons and daughters!

In our baptism we began our journey into this freedom. In our baptism Christ accepted us as gift from our Father, making us all brothers and sisters, children of Our Father. We have been redeemed in this Divine loving action which calls us daily to personal freedom from sin in ourselves and in our world, and freedom for making choices that reflect the goodness of our Father’s love.

In our confirmation we accepted the power of the Holy Spirit to increase within us this awareness, and to experience this freedom expressed in the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. We are free to join this creative power of the Holy Spirit in making choices that invite from those whom we meet change for the better.

In our sacrament of reconciliation we receive forgiveness for our failures to live this freedom. And Christ’s absolute unconditional forgiveness frees us to make choices that in the power of the Spirit help us become whom we are…children of God, brothers and sisters to each other in the Body of Christ .

And we frequently receive the Holy Eucharist, the living real presence of our Risen Christ who joins us in our race, walks as we stumble through life.

In every liturgy of the Eucharist we begin with a prayerful specific intention. Our quite time after the prayer is introduced gives us an opportunity to specify the particular way in which each of us needs the grace of this prayer. For example, today we pray to “realize the freedom God has given us”. How do I need this freedom? Perhaps freedom from negative destructive gossip, and freedom for finding the good in another and the freedom to share this with another who is gossiping?

The Word of God encourages us to listen with open hearts, to reflect on our desire and capacity to live the Word we hear. To be apostles of the Word of God is no easy task.

In today’s gospel for example Christ tells us that unless we renounce our possessions we cannot be his disciples. How free are we to live in humility? To realize that all we are and have is gift? Don’t we often “possess” our attitudes and opinions about another? Don’t we all in different ways “possess” all we have as if we are the source and owner of all? To “renounce” our absolute ownership gives us freedom to think and act with the mind of Christ. To see all as gift to be used in the mission of Christ, revealing our Father’s love! We all know the “tug of war” in our lives: to be Christ’s disciple of hope or to be a disciple of world’s darkness.

We know where and how we personally fail in using our God given freedom. And we bring our failures, our weaknesses to Christ before receiving Communion: “Lord I am not worthy, say but the word and I shall be healed!”

After Christ receives us all into Himself, when we say “amen”, we then have a final prayer after communion. Today we pray Lord, your word and your sacrament give us food and life. May this gift of your Son lead us to share his life forever.

Remember! We are all called to be Christ’s disciples of hope! We are teamed up with Christ in His Body… and we need training!  PLEASE come to this year's TRAINING CAMP on Saturday, September 18th.