“Beloved: I have experienced much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the holy ones have been refreshed by you, brother.”
Saint Paul wrote these words in the first reading for Mass today, while he was in prison. How beautiful they are! With such love, joy and peace they were written! Saint Paul seems to have drawn much strength from the Lord Jesus, while he was in prison, but he also greatly esteemed his brothers and sisters in Christ. Other than the Lord Jesus, they were his whole life, and it shows. The love he has for them still shows in the words he wrote to Philemom.
How many of us would be so joyful and full of love and faith, if we were in prison? The slightest delay, inconvienance, or the time we spend waiting for something in our lives, is an aggravating experience. We have trouble remaining joyful sometimes, throughout all the trials of our lives. It is easy to sink into self pity when things are not going well. We can become depressed about the future and lose hope if a negative situation in our life goes on too long. Not so with Saint Paul though! Maybe that is why he is a Saint and we are not, (at least yet).
The last words of the first reading is so beautiful, when Saint Paul said, “Refresh my heart in Christ.” He drew strength from his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. How awesome is that? Sometimes we become weak in our own faith. After the death of a friend or loved one, or during a period of depression, things may seem like they will never be good again. We go through the motions of going to Mass but our heart really isn’t in it.
Sometimes people even drift away from the church if they feel like they aren’t getting anything out of it anymore. The faith community itself can be a source of encouragement and strength though, if we turn to our brothers and sisters in Christ as an additional source of strength and encouragement. Just being with cheerful, upbeat and caring people in the parish can do wonders for your outlook.
The fire of the Holy Spirit is caught, not taught. When the flame dwindles low inside of us, it can be rekindled again by being around those in our faith community. That is one of the reasons it is a mortal sin to miss Mass on Sundays, in addition to breaking the Ten Commandments. Unlike many Protestant denominations, our Holy Mother Church knows our weaknesses, and understands them. She guides us and protects us. She knows that being with one another on a regular basis, will help to build up and support our faith. There is strength in numbers, and there is much support just being with others who believe the same way you do, especially in a culture that is often hostile to Christian values.
When the Pharisees asked Jesus when the Kingdom of God would come in today’s gospel, he replied to them that: “The Kingdom of God is among you.”
We are a people of God who live in the Spirit. We draw our very life from Christ, who binds us together in One Spirit, One Body. Our buildings will one day no longer exist. The structures we live and worship in will eventually deteriorate and disappear, just like our body itself will no longer live either. What does live, what will live forever, is the love, peace and joy that we find in Jesus Christ, and in our families, but also in the faith community, our brothers and sisters in Christ who journey with us throughout our lives. No one is ever alone. Simply being together, even just physically together, is such comfort and support, throughout all the stages of our life cycle.
Do you consider your fellow parishioners and those in your faith community to be your brothers and sisters in Christ? Or are they still strangers that are just there at Mass each Sunday when you are there too? That distinction, is where the Kingdom of God lies.
Daily Mass Readings:
Philemon 7-20 / Psalm 146 / Luke 17: 20-25
