It is very interesting - the first question that is asked in the Bible comes from Satan in the third chapter of Genesis as he asks Eve: “Did God really say, ‘You shall not eat from any of the trees in the garden’?” The first question God asks of man comes from the same chapter of Genesis, when God calls out to man and asks him: “Where are you?” We hear this question in our first reading today. It is a good question we can ask of ourselves today: Where are we? Whereas Satan asked his question to manipulate Eve to doubt God’s goodness, God asked his question in order to maintain a relationship with both Adam and Eve. God asked that question because he could not find them: they were not where he usually met them as they walked through the garden. But, this question is not just a matter of location; it is also a spiritual and psychological question. Where do we find ourselves today on our spiritual journey? Where are we in relationship to the calling we have received from God?
The first reading helps us to look at where we are in relationship with God, whereas our Gospel helps us look at where we are at in both our relationship with God and with our brothers and sisters. This Gospel reading is not about Jesus rejecting his mother Mary and his relatives, giving up on his biological family. Rather, it is about Jesus stating the intentions of his mission to proclaim God’s kingdom, of love of God and love of neighbor, rather than isolating ourselves in our tribe or our family unit. Only the grace we receive from God himself can help us grow in our love of God and love of neighbor, as Jesus states: “whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” Our own journey of faith and our personal relationship with God is important, our family is important, but our neighbor is important to us as well, as we let the love of God enter our hearts and pass it on to others.
As a priest, I've had parishioners ask me about one of the phrases in today’s Gospel, about why blaspheming against the Holy Spirit is considered the unforgivable sin, and what implications that has for us. Perhaps we can understand this statement in the context of God’s love of us and of the love we are to have for our neighbor. If a person or a society turns against or blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, they cut themselves off from God’s love. Two weeks ago, we celebrated the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. The love of the Father, the sacrifice of the Son, and the work of the Holy Spirit in the world show us how to be in love as a community, how to work together as God's presence in the world. The three persons of the Trinity model for us how we should in God’s grace and God’s love as brothers and sisters in Christ.
A few years back, before we had the synodal process and the reimagining process, the Diocese called us to work on three goals. One of the goals was to be a more inviting and reconciling community. In the synodal process, a similar theme noted was the rebuilding of community, of unity and healing, especially after the pandemic. We have tried to do this in different ways at Holy Savior and Clinton, such as having more social gatherings and a greater emphasis on children and youth. We have been trying to have a great emphasis on the Catholic devotions, such as adoration, the First Friday devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the First Saturday devotion to Our Lady of Fatima. We also have been trying to reach out in the community in different ways. In many ways, this process in just beginning. We are hoping to have more social gatherings, to offer more opportunities for adult religious education, and to increase the opportunities we reach out to the least of our brothers and sisters in the community. You will also hear me speak more about the Eucharistic revival in our country. Together, I want us to grow in our appreciation & understanding of the Eucharist & what it means to live as Eucharistic missionaries.
You are hearing me speak more about the Eucharistic revival in our country. I want us to journey together as we gain in our appreciation and understanding of the Eucharist and what it means to live out our lives of faith as Eucharistic missionaries.
Let us go back to that question that God asked Adam and Eve: “Where are you?” Where do we want God to find us on our journey of faith, both as individuals and as a community? Where do we want God to find us?
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