WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS,
THERE WILL THE HEART BE ALSO (Mtt 6: 21).

The greatest spiritual treasure in the Catholic faith is the Mass. Many seem to feel that even when celebrated in its simplest form, the Mass brings its own reward. This form of worship is made up of two parts: listening to the Scriptures and celebrating the Lord’s Supper. 

Have you ever thought when listening to the scriptures, we are either directly or indirectly being challenged to consider our own lives from the angle of living justly. This weekend for instance, the gospel tells of the Wedding feast at Cana. A new wine comes in abundance from something very ordinary. This can represent the potential we mere mortals have and what we can do for the world, once Jesus has us in the palm of his hand. If he can change water into wine, can he not change us also into something even more beautiful, people who really care for others, something the world needs in abundance.  

Then, as we move to the celebration of the Eucharist, we imply we are one family fed living bread and so we become what we have consumed.  Christ will be with us as we endeavour to complete the mission he began.  It would therefore not be an unrealistic practice for Vincentians to attend Mass before going out on specific works for the poor. 

The climax of the story is the sacrifice of Jesus. Putting this into context, Jesus, conscious that his people were at a loss when it came to being certain about God’s forgiveness for sin, offered his death as a once and for all sacrifice. This act completed his self-giving. Everything he had was given away, even his body and blood: take and eat, take and drink:

Conscious of all of this, it is as though Jesus is saying to us:

“Look, God has forgiven you 
Cease to wallow in the mistakes of the past 
I believe in you. 
Rise up and go out to heal this broken world 
Which you will do by your love and compassion 
For the poor 
The oppressed 
The lost
The sick
The imprisoned 
They are your brothers and sisters 
God is your father and mother.
I, your brother
Have washed your feet
Now you must do the same
With a preference 
For those for whom the journey
Is not smooth as yours”.

Today we notice a huge number of baptised Catholics fail to attend Mass on a regular basis. The reason for this, I suspect, is ignorance of what this worship implies. The sadness is not so much in their absence from Mass, but the space being left for another treasure to grow in their hearts. This is poverty at its worst.

DISCUSSION: Recall the details of the Wedding feast at Cana and share your understanding.

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PRAYER

Holy Spirit
Teach me to search for meaning
In all I do
Even when
I watch the flowers grow
See them young
Then in bloom
And when they die
Beauty all around
Wondering how all this can be
It has a purpose
A mystery to me.