Christ Jesus, wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption

"It is due to (God) that you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, so that, as it is written, 'Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.'"(1 Cor 1:31)  This weekend we celebrate for the first time in this Liturgical year, the concrete teaching that Jesus uniquely offers to us as our Christ, that is as our Messiah!  Beatitude means happiness!  God wants us to experience joy and joy to the full!  This is good news!  God alone is the key to human happiness and fulfillment.  This is true because we are made in the image and likeness of God, and are created for ultimate beatitude: unity with God!  In Matthew's gospel we see Jesus as the new Moses, who went up the mountain to receive from God the Ten Commandments, which was the crown of the covenant that was born of the passover of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt to freedom in God.  Like Moses, Jesus offers us freedom from slavery!  The slavery Jesus frees us from is the slavery to sin, which causes death.  This weekend we are challenged to embrace anew the value system of the Kingdom of God.  The Beatitudes are the blueprint for our individual and communal lives!  They are also counter cultural and have the power to transform us as a parish family. 

Last Monday I hosted 32 women from our parish to do Lectio Divina (holy reading) with the Eucharistic Prayers in the current Roman Missal.   I explained the parts to of the Eucharistic prayer: Thanksgiving, Acclamation, Epiclesis, Institution Narrative and Consecration, Anamnesis, Second Epiclesis, Intercessions, and Doxology and Great Amen.  We are called to remember that WE offer, as God's priestly people, the Eucharist together!  During the Eucharistic Prayer, though the people speak only in the form of acclamations (the Memorial Acclamation and the Great Amen), everyone is to participate actively, everyone is to be offering the mass together!  We offer to God the greatest gift of all, Jesus!  "Do this in memory of me."  We in turn are offered to God "with, in, and through Him" and are to be changed by this living encounter with the Risen Christ!   The ongoing invitation is for us as a parish family to appreciate anew the gifts we have as a Church!

Last week, as you know, I attended the January Institute in Cheyenne with Bishop Etienne, the priests and deacons of our diocese, and lay leaders from many of the parishes in our diocese.  This was the second stage of the process of Strategic Planning for the Pastoral plan that will guide our diocese particularly at the parish level for the next five years.  The Priorities of this plan are: Renewed focus on the Sacramental life of the Church, especially the Eucharist; Catechesis (what we believe as God's people and how we encourage a spirit of lifelong formation in every person); New Evangelization: Proclaiming Christ to the World especially reaching out to those who no longer come to church regularly and those in our communities who do not belong to any church;  Ministry to and with Youth and Young Adults; Family life and Vocations, and finally Stewardship as Discipleship.  I was involved in the group which brainstormed about the New Evangelization.  I came away with excitement and lots of questions as to how we can better "speak from the heart one on one with others about Jesus".  It is the experience of a saving relationship with Jesus that is the heart of everything we do and are.  It is the relationship of love with God, that is our ultimate, daily, and true beatitude!  Let us live into true joy and happiness through Jesus!  

Of space and sign! The gift of ordinary time...

So what is in a sign?  Signs have power to communicate important messages to others.  In one of the Eucharistic prayers the Church is described as a "sign and instrument of unity."  This week, after six months, our sign in front of the Church finally was changed to reflect that we have a new pastor (now not so new).  Not only that, the sign has been given new glass, new script, and is nice and lighted.  Though it may be easy to miss, partly due to familiarity, this sign is another expression of our unity in mission!  We are to be like a bright, clear, and current sign of the presence of Jesus in our community!  This invites us to make the best of Ordinary Time that begins this Sunday evening.  Ordinary Time is a call to conversion and appreciation of the mysteries of our faith, "Ordinary Time is not ordinary at all.  Ordinary Time, the celebration of Sunday is the identifying mark of the Christian Community which comes together, remembering that on the first day of the week the Lord of Life was raised up and creation came at last to completion.  Sunday as a day of play and worship is a sacrament of redeemed time.  How we live Sunday proclaims to the world what we believe about redeemed time now and for ever."  These words from the Order of Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours and the Celebration of the Eucharist remind us that Sunday itself is a sign!  Our cars in the parking lot, our singing, and our gathering as we enter the Church and after Eucharist are signs.  The way we spend our time on Sundays is a sign to each other and to the community.  What do these signs currently say?  How can we better live the gift of our faith together? 

So what is in a space?  When the Church was remodeled two doors were removed near the entrance of the Church.  This week the framing for the doors was removed with an amazing consequence!  The space that many see and experience when they enter the Church is now open and inviting!  This is the first encounter with liturgical space.  That is, the first concrete movement into the space where we as a parish family will offer worship to the Lord!  The experience of a welcoming gathering area as we transition from the world into liturgical time and space, the "real world",  is so important for orienting us to the work of worship!  Every time WE, living stones,  gather as God's people, as a parish family, we are drawn together "assembled" as a sign to each other and to the world that "God shows not partiality, everyone is welcome."  We come together for mass, or at times for baptisms or funerals, for CCD or CCW or KOC, Bible Study, English as a Second Language courses, for Eucharistic Adoration or to pray the Rosary, for DTS and pass into this sacred space through the gathering area.  Now we'll be able to experience an openness not formerly possible. 

"From worship into service."  As we leave mass we descend stairs either to go to the parish hall or out to our vehicles through the gathering area.  The message we get is that we leave as one people united more

perfectly by God's grace for service to the world.  We don't, and can't, serve the world as disciples individually.  Jesus sent the disciples two by two and thus indicated how necessary it is that each of us be good stewards of the time, talent, and treasure we have and together continue the hard work of justice and charity here in Worland.  This space will be updated to better communicate the message of "welcome" and "Go in peace to love and serve the Lord."  New flooring, painting, and lighting will tie the gathering space to the Church in a fuller way.  This will be a space where parish news can be shared such as our financial statements, parish council minutes, special scheduling, and brochures concerning aspects of our discipleship will be available.  This space will be occupied at times by funeral processions, wedding processions, processions to CCD classes, a fuller experience of greeters-perhaps by families, and visitors will get an impression of who we are as God's family. 

So what do signs and space say through us to the world?  The icon of St. Mary Magdalen our patroness is a wonderful call to holiness.  St. Mary Magdalen was the first person to witness the empty tomb and to encounter the resurrected Jesus!  She was sent to the Apostles with the message to meet him in Galilee.  As she went she declared, "I have seen the Lord!"  Let that be the fruit of the sign and space that greets us every time we "come to church."  Let it be the message we radiate to our world!