"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!
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